Inside Zohran Mamdani's private influencer briefing

White House officials have been courting social media influencers like never before. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has held private virtual briefings with half a dozen pro-Trump influencers, while President Joe Biden has hosted over 100 of them at the White House in an effort to "breakthrough" in communication.

The approach is attributed to former President Donald Trump's long-form podcast interviews with new-age content creators, which some believe boosted critical support among young men. However, it seems that this strategy has now been adopted by other politicians too.

Influencers are seen as having a unique ability to connect with "normal people" in a way that traditional media outlets cannot. According to Matt Bernstein, host of the popular podcast "A Bit Fruity," influencers like him can amplify the voices of everyday Americans and have influence through their content.

However, this increased power also means that influencers are expected to hold politicians accountable for their promises. As Isa Buitrago, a New York-based creator, pointed out, no one should ever be put on a pedestal as a politician regardless of how well they try to connect with the public.

During an exclusive meeting with NBC News, Zohran Mamdani's campaign officials met with several pro-trump influencers. One of the attendees, Youssef Hasweh, asked Mamdani about his plans for making City University of New York schools more affordable and accessible.

The informal setting allowed for a level of familiarity that is rare in traditional press conferences. When Hasweh wished Mamdani "salam alaikum habibi," he was met with a warm response from the politician, indicating a genuine attempt to build a connection with his audience.

Ugh, can't believe these influencers are just getting more and more special treatment by politicians . Like, I get it, they're trying to reach "normal people" but come on, who does that? It's like they think we're all just going to be swooned over by a cute tweet or a quick video from some influencer. Newsflash: we're not that easily swayed .

And don't even get me started on the whole "amplifying everyday Americans" thing . That's code for "we're not actually listening to what you want, just paying lip service so we can say we care". And what about all the times influencers are like totally bought off by corporations? It's like they're just puppets on strings .

And then there's this whole thing with politicians trying to be "cool" and connect with people on social media . Like, Joe Biden thinks hosting a bunch of influencers at the White House is going to fix everything? Please. They need to start listening to actual issues instead of just trying to fit in with the cool crowd .

It's all so frustrating when politicians think they can just game the system and get away with it . We deserve better than that .

I don't get why politicians are trying so hard to connect with social media influencers... like, they're already on TV and stuff. Can't they just listen to what people are saying instead of thinking we need someone else to speak for us? And what's up with these pro-Trump influencers showing up at White House briefings? Shouldn't they be promoting the opposite side or something? Still, I guess it's cool that everyday Americans can finally see politicians in a more relatable light. Maybe we'll actually get some good policy out of this...

Ugh, I don't get it why politicians are trying to be buddies with social media influencers . I mean, sure, they might think it's a good idea to connect with "normal people" and all that, but at the end of the day, it's still about getting elected and making deals. And let's not forget, these influencers are already pretty biased towards certain ideologies – it's like trying to get on good terms with someone who's always going to be a bit too liberal for your taste .

And can we talk about how weird it is that they're expecting these influencers to be some kind of accountability mechanism? I mean, come on – you want someone with millions of followers to fact-check you? It's like asking a Reddit user to verify the accuracy of some politician's speech .

I just don't think this whole influencer thing is going to end well. Politicians are always trying to pander to their base, but sometimes that just means playing to their own echo chamber instead of actually listening to what people really need .

come on, politicians think they can just buy their way into people's hearts like some kinda influencer deal . newsflash: being a public figure isn't about being "connected" or having a good vibe, it's about actually solving problems and holding power accountable... or so you'd hope . these pro-trump influencers are basically just pawns in the game of politics, and using them to try and reach people is just lazy . what we need is real change, not some shallow attempt at "engaging" with the public

I'm not sure I'm sold on this whole influencer-politician thing . Don't get me wrong, influencers can be pretty persuasive, especially when it comes to younger folks who are already tuning out traditional news sources. But I worry that we're creating a culture where politicians are more worried about getting likes and shares than actually serving the people they're supposed to represent.

And what's with all these private briefings and informal meetups? It feels like we're losing some of that transparency that's so important in governance. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for a good chat between politicians and everyday folks, but when it's happening behind closed doors without the press corps being there, it can be a bit sketchy.

And let's not forget about accountability . Influencers may have a lot of influence, but they're still just people with an opinion. Do we really want to put too much power in their hands? I think we need to make sure that politicians are held to the same standards as everyone else, even if it's hard for them to admit it .

OMG can't believe what's going on!! these politicians think they can just hang out with social media influencers and become BFFs ?! like what about all the promises they make? don't we deserve some real answers from our leaders? I mean, I get that influencers are trying to connect with "normal people" but shouldn't they be holding them accountable too? it's like, if you're gonna sit on a pedestal, someone should at least try to fact-check your claims

man i'm so over this influencer politican thing ... like i get it influencers can connect with people on a more relatable level but that doesn't mean we should be handing them power and expecting them to hold politicians accountable in the same way we do traditional journalists . what's next is gonna be having our elected officials record vlogs and call it a "town hall" meeting ... meanwhile, i'm happy to see someone like Zohran Mamdani actually engaging with real people like Youssef Hasweh from City University of New York

I'm not sure if it's a good idea for politicians to be hangin' out with social media influencers 24/7 ... I mean, on one hand, I get what they're tryin' to do - connect with regular people and build that rapport, but on the other hand, isn't there still this whole "politician" thing that comes with all sorts of baggage? And yeah, it's cool that they're tryin' to hold 'em accountable for their promises, but can't we just have a more traditional press conference or somethin'? I don't wanna see anyone puttin' on a pedestal, especially if they're not exactly... reliable .