‘From nobody to the White House’: Who is Dominick McGee? MAGA influencer stirring up outrage on X

Dominick McGee was once just another online voice shouting into the void. But this April, the 31-year-old walked into the White House for a Trump press briefing — a moment of validation he proudly recorded for his 1.5 million X followers.“I was a nobody,” he was quoted as saying by the New York Times. “No clout, no followers, no nothing, no money. And look what’s able to be created in the land of the free.”McGee’s journey from a one-bedroom flat in Miami to the White House has been anything but usual. He started out posting conspiracy theories from his couch. Today, he’s one of the most well-known far-right voices on X. At one point, he was ranked the third most influential user on the platform — just behind Elon Musk and Andrew Tate. But while he gained a lot of attention, the money didn’t always follow.His rise came from a familiar formula: post all day, stir controversy, and grab attention. McGee starts his online work at 9 a.m. and continues until 8 p.m., hoping to catch the platform’s algorithm. One post about WNBA star Brittney Griner went viral with over 11 million views after he encouraged users to misgender her. “I know for a fact that Brittney Griner will go viral,” he said. “It’s a great post to start the day.”McGee grew up in South Carolina, where he once thought selling drugs or joining a gang might be his only way forward. Instead, he joined the Army, later studied at Penn State through a veterans’ programme, and tried his hand at music and fashion. But it was Trump’s “Stop the Steal” campaign that brought him an online following. A Facebook group he ran was banned for sharing false election information. He then switched to X, where Elon Musk’s platform rewarded posts that got attention — though the pay was unpredictable.Since 2023, McGee has made about $157,000 from X’s revenue-sharing programme. He earned $67,000 in the first year, but after being kicked out of the programme in 2024, his payments dropped to just $12,000. He complained to Musk and got a “Will fix” reply — but not much happened. He only got another $16,000 after that.McGee also earned about $62,000 from followers who pay $10 a month for his exclusive posts. He once landed a $150,000 deal to promote a MAGA-themed cryptocurrency. But that coin lost over 90% of its value, and McGee was left using what was left to pay for rent, food, and his dog’s meals. At one point, he had only $7 in his bank account.Even though he talks about investing in real estate and buying a Lamborghini, McGee admitted he made less than $55,000 last year. “Honestly, $150,000 is a lot compared to my broke a** in the past,” he said. “But I’m actually pretty poor. I’m one of the poor creators.”One of his biggest complaints is that X doesn’t tell creators how much they’ll earn from each post, making it hard to plan. “That’s insane for any adult to have to live their life that way,” he said.Now, McGee is shifting again — this time to podcasting and short viral videos. He’s started a new show recorded in a Miami apartment. The idea isn’t just to talk, but to create 30-second clips that go viral. The topics are lighter — celebrity news and pop culture — meant to attract a wider audience before sharing his political views. It’s a method used by others like Candace Owens.“It’s not what I started off as originally,” he said. “It’s a survival mechanism. That’s what it takes.”But controversy keeps following him. In 2023, McGee was suspended from X for posting a disturbing news image about child sexual abuse. He later said he was misunderstood and upset that no one asked about his side of the story. On a recent podcast, a guest used a homophobic slur and shared white nationalist views. McGee seemed uncomfortable and later said, “Social media has radicalised him a little bit.”“The first goal is to be seen,” he said. “And they give you that.”