This project studies the rhetoric of several “manosphere” influencers in the lead-up to the United States 2024 presidential election. It considers key public sphere theorists, including Hannah Arendt, Nancy Fraser, Jürgen Habermas, Gerard Hauser, and Michael Warner and applies their theories of the public sphere to the world of the manosphere and its various “influencers.” By working to better understand these influencer’s rhetorical moves and how they have been received by young men, findings revealed that the manosphere is not one cohesive block, but rather a complex web of personalities that can spread misogyny or combat toxic masculinity, depending on which guests they choose to have on—which rhetoric they amplify. Furthermore, the support for Trump seen from these manosphere influencers was built on the positions enunciated earlier by the guests they invited on and the style in which they interacted with them.
