Theo Von has spent years building an empire as the relatably “clueless” king of podcasting. But this week, the Louisiana native dropped the act to deliver a political bombshell that has both the far right and the far left reeling.
During a landmark episode of his podcast, This Past Weekend, released on January 21, 2026, Von hosted Senator Bernie Sanders for their second major sit-down. While their first meeting in August 2024 was seen as a quirky cross-cultural experiment, this latest appearance marked a total ideological pivot. Von didn’t just interview Sanders. He aligned with him while launching a blistering critique of the MAGA movement and the “billionaire class” that he says has abandoned the American worker.
“I’m tired of being told that some billionaire is gonna save me,” Von told a stunned audience. “Bernie is talking about the people I grew up with in the mud. The lobbyists are the ones winning, and it feels like the current administration is just playing both sides of the net.”
The “Bernie Bro” Rebrand: Why Theo Is Pivoting
The shift follows months of subtle distancing from the Trump administration. While Von was credited with helping Donald Trump secure the young male vote in 2024, his tone has soured as reality has set in.
During the nearly 90-minute conversation with Sanders, Von expressed deep frustration with the “corruption” of Washington. He specifically targeted the influence of Big Pharma and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. These are talking points that are usually the bread and butter of the progressive left and not the MAGA-friendly podcast circuit.
“You look at Wall Street, the drug companies, the insurance companies… they have enormous power,” Sanders told Von during the episode. “They tell the government what to do.”
Von didn’t push back. Instead, he rubbed his chin and agreed while lamenting that the government seems “helpless” to protect ordinary citizens from being “killed” by rising costs and lack of healthcare.
[Link: Watch the full episode #635 featuring Senator Bernie Sanders – YouTube]
The reaction from Von’s conservative fan base was swift and divided. On platforms like X and Reddit, some “Rat King” loyalists accused him of being “radicalized” by the left, while others praised him for his intellectual honesty.
The timing is particularly awkward for the Trump camp. Just last May, Von was performing stand-up sets for American troops in Qatar alongside the President, who famously told the crowd, “We don’t care if you’re politically correct.” Critics at the time, including MSNBC, labeled Von a “tool of the Trump administration.”
Now that same “tool” is hammering the administration’s handling of ICE raids and its ties to corporate donors.
“Theo has always been a populist,” says culture writer Aja Romano. “He’s a 45-year-old from Louisiana who has lived through addiction and working-class struggles. If the MAGA movement stops feeling like it’s for the working class, Theo will be the first one to jump ship.”
The episode also saw Sanders and Von find common ground on a controversial local issue: the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme in Minnesota. Sanders condemned the $250 million theft from a child nutrition program as “disgusting behavior,” while Von pointed out that such scandals make people “distrust the government managing their tax dollars.”
“Fraud is disgusting, especially to steal money from hungry kids,” Sanders said. “That is as bad as it gets.”
While Sanders pushed back on Von’s skepticism of government efficiency, the exchange highlighted Von’s growing role as a proxy for the “disaffected” voter. This is someone who believes the system is rigged but isn’t sure who to trust to fix it.
The Future of the “Manosphere”
Von’s pivot raises a massive question for the 2026 midterm cycle: Is the “podcast bro” coalition fracturing? If influencers like Von, who reach millions of young men, start trading MAGA hats for Sanders-style populism, the GOP could lose its grip on a vital demographic. For Von, however, the move seems less like a calculated political play and more like a return to his roots.
“I’m just an idiot,” Von joked at the end of the episode. “But at least I’m starting to look at the right things.”
