Research/Study
Extremists, bigots, and conspiracy theorists: YouTuber Tim Pool’s 2022 guests in review
YouTube is profiting from a podcast that platforms white nationalists, conspiracy theorists, and bigots
Published
A Media Matters review of Tim Pool’s guests on his Timcast IRL podcast in 2022 demonstrates that many of the individuals Pool invites on his show are extremists, bigots, or conspiracy theorists. Sometimes, they’re all three.
Pool’s show is broadcast from a Maryland studio, where he wears his signature black beanie year-round. A steady rotation of guests and co-hosts sit alongside Pool in matching gamer chairs and headphones as they discuss the day’s news, often pushing misinformation and conspiracy theories as they bounce off of each other’s reactionary commentary.
Pool, who has 1.4 million YouTube subscribers and a history of working with white nationalists, is reportedly making a fortune from his livestreams.
YouTube is also profiting from Pool’s podcast, raking in around $65,000 from Pool’s channel between October 2020 and November 2021, and the platform has gone so far as to promote his channel on its front page. On November 28, his livestream with Hitler fanboy Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, was the most-watched livestream on the platform.
The type of guest Pool invites on his show varies. Some are elected officials, while others are comedians and culture warriors. Pool rarely invites guests who will push back against his right-wing perspective.
As explained by reporter Robert Silverman, who has covered Pool’s show, “Whenever a right-wing politician, personality or group enters the news cycle, Pool finds a way to sand down their actual, stated beliefs or will claim ignorance.”
Timcast Editor-in-Chief Cassandra MacDonald (neé Fairbanks) appears to have a hand in booking Pool’s guests. MacDonald previously worked for the Kremlin-funded news outlet Sputnik, has been accused of flashing a “white power” hand sign, and has been pictured with white nationalists. Additionally, one of Pool's recurring co-hosts, Luke Rudkowski, is a former Infowars employee and 9/11 conspiracy theorist.
Pool’s regular co-hosts, employees, and guests appear to mirror his own thinking. The YouTuber has pushed white nationalist talking points, baselessly accused a journalist of being a pedophile, defended antisemitic comments, and pushed a litany of conspiracy theories. Furthermore, Pool is an advocate for a second U.S. civil war, often discussing an impending second war on his podcast and on Twitter.
