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“MAGA Whisperer” Vanessa Santos was profiled by Variety on Thursday for her work as a publicist supporting conservative clients who were treated “like garbage” after President Donald Trump’s first administration.
According to Variety, Santos launched her own agency, Renegade PR, in 2021 and has since grown to represent what executive editor Tatiana Siegel described as a “who’s who of names many controversy-averse publicists wouldn’t touch” — including Roseanne Barr, Riley Gaines and Tim Pool.
Santos, a Republican herself, told Variety she hopes her efforts will help foster communication in the left-leaning entertainment industry.
Vanessa Santos described conservatives being treated “like garbage” after the 2016 election. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“I really want to foster the ability for people to talk about politics without fear of being canceled,” Santos said. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with celebrities who are conservative curious and want to speak out. They’ve talked to their current representation [whose] position is like, ‘If you want to do this, then you’re on your own.’ There’s a lot of people out there who are afraid of being dropped by their representatives. That’s crazy. Why on earth is a publicist trying to control their messaging for them?”
She pointed to CNN commentator Scott Jennings as an example of an outspoken conservative improving a liberal environment through his daily appearances on the network.
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Renegade PR seeks out conservative clients to foster more conversation in Hollywood. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
“I am obsessed with Scott Jennings,” Santos said. “What he has done on Abby Phillip’s show is what our evening discourse should be like. I am so sick and tired of everybody just existing in their own echo chambers. And the fact that Abby Phillip is opening up her show to this is really smart.”
Santos predicted that business would “bang” after Trump’s re-election in 2024, adding that the entertainment industry may now be more willing to reach out to conservative audiences after years of ostracization.
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Vanessa Santos said she expected business to “bang” after President Donald Trump’s re-election. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
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“That Michael Jordan quote, ‘Republicans buy sneakers too,’ lives in my brain,” Santos said. “Like, you can’t just cut off that many people.”
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