As the right refines its online tactics, progressives face a choice: fund their playbook or build a stronger one of our own.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve learned that several progressive advocacy organizations may be accidentally paying MAGA-aligned influencer firms to source content for them. In doing so, they’re directly helping MAGA Republicans build and strengthen their influencer databases ahead of the 2026 election.
Two of the firms involved are Urban Legend and Legendary Campaigns.
While these firms may be quite convincing, upon vetting their history you can see that these are pro-Trump organizations working tirelessly to degrade American Democracy and destroy our shared progressive values.
From Axios:
“Filings with the Federal Election Commission show the Trump campaign paid nearly $1.8 million during the second half of 2020 to Legendary Campaigns LLC for “online advertising.”
Legendary Campaigns is a “partner organization” of another company called Urban Legend, according to that firm’s president, Sondra Clark.
Until February 2020, Clark was the director of marketing and campaigns for the White House. Ory Rinat, who was the White House’s chief digital officer until last June, is Urban Legend’s CEO.”
Conservative influencer Xaviaer DuRousseau, another member of the RNC’s Youth Advisory Council, said he was paid to promote ”Zelenskyy Unmasked” on X through Urban Legend, an influencer marketing firm led by a former Trump administration staffer.
I know which progressive groups are actively funding MAGA media, but I’ll let an Urban Legend executive brag about how progressive money fuels their conservative network.
From Wired:
Rinat told me that the firm’s clients included a Fortune 50 tech company, a “major labor union,” an “environmental advocacy group,” and one “LGBTQ+ advocacy group.”
Of course, Urban Legend is also degrading public health and getting rich off the damage.
Continued From Wired:
Last September, HuffPost reporter Jesselyn Cook noted a wave of Instagram posts that seemed to correspond with the timing of a large payment to Urban Legend for “advertising,” according to FEC filings, through a partner firm called Legendary Campaigns. The purchase was made by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which fundraises for Senate campaigns. The posts had headlines like “End to Mask Mandates, Endless Lockdowns and Vaccine Passports!” and demanded “a full investigation into Biden-tech collusion.” Each post linked to NRSC petitions, which harvested names and emails.
The evidence is clear and overwhelming. Every dollar spent with Urban Legend supports MAGA.
We can do better. Progressive groups shouldn’t bankroll organizations that run completely against their values.
On our political and advocacy side, People First works exclusively with Democratic candidates, progressive causes, and organizations advancing public health and social good.
None of our employees have ever worked for the Trump campaign or administration. Unlike Urban Legend, we do not funnel money and creators into the MAGA media machine.
Instead, we manage the world’s largest progressive social impact creator database of more than 20,000 creators, powering campaigns that actually fight for our values. Every dollar spent with People First helps us continue scaling our creator database to prepare for the 2026 campaign. Hope you’ll join us.