A focus group of Black men who backed Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024 says their frustration has turned inward—away from mainstream news outlets and toward YouTube, podcasts, and local stations they trust more. Conducted by Navigator Research for th
By Wednesday, the story they wanted to tell wasn’t about a single headline. It was about where they stopped looking for truth.
A focus group conducted on Wednesday by the Democratic firm Navigator Research—one that HuffPost was allowed to view—focused on Black men who voted for former President Joe Biden in 2020 and then for President Donald Trump in 2024. What emerged was a sharp souring on the president, tied to concerns about leadership, the economy, and skyrocketing gas prices. But the frustration didn’t stop at the White House. Several men also talked about how mainstream media has lost its place in their daily routine.
“I used to watch a lot of mainstream news. but they’ve been bought out. ” said a 45-year-old Black man from Decatur. Georgia. He described replacing national outlets with platforms built for debate and commentary. saying. “I go on YouTube. watch a lot of podcasters. independent — Joe Rogan. Meidas Touch. I watch everything.”.
Most of the men in the group pointed to social media as a primary source for news. Others said local outlets felt more trustworthy. A participant from Detroit said that while he primarily gets his news from YouTube and podcasters like Joe Rogan. he still trusts his local FOX station. “I don’t believe half the stuff that CNN puts out,” he explained.
In Atlanta. a 55-year-old participant described a more complicated media diet: he still watches MS NOW and CNN to gain a broader perspective on what’s happening around the world. but he said he leans toward independent journalists like Roland Martin because he believes they’re more likely to tell the truth without constraints. “[Mainstream media] seems more controlled now. The big news outlets seem more controlled in what they can release to the public,” he said.
The focus group’s comments landed inside a wider moment of collapsing confidence in journalism. A 2025 Gallup poll found the country’s trust in mainstream media has dropped to a historic low of 28%.
For Democratic strategists, the concern is not just cultural—it’s electoral. The responses in the Navigator Research session fit growing worries about how to reach voters who decide elections. and they echo a conversation that has gathered force in Democratic circles: the surge of podcasts and other anti-establishment media has become a channel that voters like it. and that in turn is tied to why some backed Trump in 2024.
Several participants in the focus group laid the blame for the country’s dire state directly at Trump. “I didn’t agree with Obama, but he is an example of a good leader,” said a participant from Atlanta. Pointing to Trump’s billion-dollar “anti-weaponization fund,” the man continued: “As a leader, you don’t put your self-interests first. You put your constituents’ best interests first.”.
Another participant described the effects of that leadership choice as spreading outward. The participant from Decatur, Georgia said Trump’s poor leadership has a “ripple effect,” adding, “All Americans are being negatively affected by this administration.”
United States politics Black men Joe Biden Donald Trump media trust mainstream media social media news YouTube podcasts Joe Rogan Meidas Touch Roland Martin CNN FOX local station MS NOW Navigator Research HuffPost Gallup poll anti-weaponization fund gas prices
So they just stopped watching the news… okay.
This is wild. I feel like YouTube is basically mainstream now though? Like it’s all the same just different labels. But if gas prices and stuff made them mad, that part I get.
Half the time CNN is wrong but then Rogen be doing interviews with everyone… so what’s the difference? They say mainstream got bought out but then they’re like “I watch everything” on YouTube 😂. Also Meidas Touch isn’t exactly local news, you know?
Honestly this sounds like people just want a platform that tells them they’re right. Like “I trust my local FOX station” but then complains about truth?? And if the headline is about Trump-era doubts, I’m sure that’s all that matters to them, not the rest. But focus groups always feel like they’re writing the story for people, not listening.