00:00One of the most prominent pro-Trump social media accounts on X is reportedly being run by a current
00:04White House staffer. According to a new report from Wired, the account at Johnny Maga presents
00:09itself to its roughly 280,000 followers as a grassroots right-wing voice. However,
00:15Wired reports that it is operated by Garrett Wade, a 27-year-old White House employee who
00:19manages rapid response social media for President Donald Trump's administration and earns $74,500
00:25a year. According to the report, Wade's phone number is linked to the Johnny Maga account,
00:30and the account previously used a handle that included his birth year. The account has never
00:34disclosed that it is being run by someone working inside the Trump White House. Through the anonymous
00:38account, Wade has amplified administration messaging, shared support for posts on Truth Social,
00:42promoted hardline immigration policies, and criticized political opponents,
00:46including California Governor Gavin Newsom. The account has also frequently praised members of
00:50the Trump family. In one instance, the account described a racist video depicting former President
00:55Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes as a masterpiece. After initially
01:01defending the post, the White House later said a rogue staffer had shared the video,
01:05President Trump did not issue an apology. Wired reports that Wade previously worked for
01:09Opinion Architects, a digital consulting firm that received more than $325,000 from Make America,
01:15Great Again Incorporated, for research and communication services. Federal Election Commission records also
01:20show Wade was paid tens of thousands of dollars while on the Republican National Committee's payroll.
01:24Wade is married to Allison Schuster, a White House press assistant. The couple married earlier this
01:29month after a three-month engagement and posed for photos on Capitol Hill. Schuster has reposted
01:33content from the Johnny Maga account without disclosing that it is run by her husband.
01:37Schuster is a graduate of Hillsdale College and has written for The Federalist,
01:40as well as the Association of Mature American Citizens. The Johnny Maga account has been promoted by
01:46several prominent Trump supporters, including President Trump himself. Samuel Woolley,
01:50a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies disinformation and media ethics,
01:54told Wired that the lack of transparency surrounding the account raises ethical concerns about disclosure
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