A prominent pro-Trump presence on X that drew a large audience as an independent supporter has been linked to a White House employee, according to a WIRED article.
The account, known as Johnny MAGA, grew to hundreds of thousands of followers while presenting itself as a grassroots participant in the MAGA media sphere. It frequently promoted posts from Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, defended administration positions, and criticized Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“To its audience, Johnny MAGA looked like an independent voice, another outraged supporter in the MAGA media ecosystem. The account regularly boosts Trump’s Truth Social posts and goes to bat for the administration, attacking Democrats like California governor Gavin Newsom,” the outlet reported.
The account also shared images of people burning American flags in Minneapolis after the killing of Renee Good. In one post, it stated, “They’re burning the American flag right now in Minneapolis, and they really expect you to believe that ICE shot an innocent civilian.”
Launched in January 2021, the profile became a consistent source of far-right, pro-Trump messaging. It remained active during the 2024 presidential race and frequently targeted former Vice President Kamala Harris with personal attacks.
According to the report, the account was not independent.
“Johnny MAGA appears to actually be a White House staffer named Garrett Wade who works for the Trump administration as a rapid response manager, helping to run the very same White House account his anonymous MAGA account amplifies.”
According to the publication, public records linked a phone number associated with Wade to the Johnny MAGA account. A source described as close to the White House confirmed the connection. Wade did not respond to a request for comment.
The situation reflects a tactic known as sock puppeting, in which individuals or organizations operate anonymous accounts to create the appearance of broader outside support or influence online debate.
The method has surfaced before in political and media settings. In 2013, Fox News faced scrutiny after reports that sock puppet accounts were used to counter criticism. More recently, an account called @BasedMikeLee, which initially appeared to be a supporter of Sen. Mike Lee, was later disclosed to be the senator’s own account.
The findings renew scrutiny over how political operatives engage on social media and where the boundary lies between official messaging and anonymous advocacy.
