Creators gather in Washington, D.C.
Jan 23, 2025 – [[read-time]] minute read
This weekend in Washington, D.C., YouTube welcomed top creators and podcasters for a reception that highlighted the unique role they played in keeping voters engaged and informed throughout the 2024 U.S. election season. These creators, in addition to many others, are driving today’s online news consumption, landing “must-watch” interviews, and giving viewers the chance to hear directly from politicians, celebrities, business leaders, and more.
We had a chance to connect with a few of them in D.C. about the role their content is playing in today’s media ecosystem, and here’s what they told us:
Lex Fridman, host of Lex Fridman Podcast
“I’ve had incredible conversations with brilliant minds from all walks of life on YouTube. I've been able to connect with world leaders, scientists, artists, athletes, historians, businesses and other creatives, each with their unique perspectives and experiences. It's been an amazing journey of learning and growth, powered by the open dialogue YouTube allows.”
Michael Duncan, co-host of Ruthless Podcast
“YouTube empowers creators to democratize the news. We can break through and have a direct, longform conversation with our audience about what's really happening in our politics."
Saagar Enjeti, co-host of Breaking Points
“The 2024 election was a turning point for political media consumption in the US where going direct and bypassing traditional media paid huge dividends for President Trump. It’s intriguing and exciting to see YouTube and other companies understand the new landscape and lay a foundation for the growth of a new political paradigm.”
In addition to creators, the reception also brought together policymakers and elected officials.
Creators provide a glimpse behind the scenes
Independent outlets and creators who were in D.C. for the inauguration festivities provided audiences with behind-the-scenes access to all of the action through both long-form video and YouTube Shorts.
The Free Press used Shorts to give audiences a front row view of the excitement and Megyn Kelly shared what it was like to be on the ground. Meanwhile Kai Trump’s vlogs recapping the weekend have millions of views.
Americans flock to YouTube to watch the inauguration
YouTube was a pivotal source for Americans across the political spectrum through the past year. On election day alone, over 45 million viewers across the U.S. watched content related to the election on YouTube. We saw this same trend continue on inauguration day. On the U.S. Inauguration Day, over 30 million people globally watched inauguration** related content on YouTube.
*Inauguration related content is defined as a video with the word “inauguration,” “'inaugural,”or “inaugurated” in the title.