Black men who voted for former President Joe Biden in 2020 and then for President Donald Trump in 2024 have soured on the president, expressing concern about the president’s leadership, the economy, and skyrocketing gas prices. But they’re also frustrated with another group — the news media.

A focus group conducted on Wednesday by the Democratic firm Navigator Research, which HuffPost was allowed to view, revealed that these men have chosen to divest from what they believe are mainstream media outlets and largely get their news from nontraditional outlets and independent creators on platforms like YouTube.

“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. “I go on YouTube, watch a lot of podcasters, independent — Joe Rogan, Meidas Touch. I watch everything.”

Most of the men in the focus group cited social media as a primary source for news. Others mentioned local news stations and newspapers as more trustworthy platforms.

A participant from Detroit mentioned that even though he primarily gets his news from YouTube and podcasters like Joe Rogan, he trusts his local FOX station. “I don’t believe half the stuff that CNN puts out,” he explained.

Another participant explained that while he still watches MS NOW and CNN to gain a broader perspective on what’s happening around the world, he leans toward independent journalists like Roland Martin because he feels they are more likely to tell the truth with no constraints.

“[Mainstream media] seems more controlled now. The big news outlets seem more controlled in what they can release to the public,” the 55-year-old from Atlanta said.

Their responses follow a broader trend of Americans who have lost trust in news outlets. A 2025 Gallup poll found the country’s trust in mainstream media has dropped to a historic low of 28%.

They also fit into growing Democratic worries about how to reach the voters who decide elections. Many Democratic donors and operatives rushed to point to the growing popularity of podcasts as a reason voters with an anti-establishment bent backed Trump in 2024, setting off an oft-mocked conversation about the push to find a “liberal Joe Rogan.”

The focus group largely blamed Trump for the country’s dire state, citing a lack of leadership within the administration. “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,” he continued: “As a leader, you don’t put your self-interests first. You put your constituents’ best interests first.”

Trump’s poor leadership has a “ripple effect,” said the participant from Decatur, Georgia, adding, “All Americans are being negatively affected by this administration.”

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