Dean Withers: The 20-Year-Old Political Debater Making Waves
At just 20 years old, TikTok content creator Dean Withers has amassed a large following through his political debates and social commentary on several social media platforms. Withers's account began to gain traction after he debated popular conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in a video produced by Jubilee Media entitled "Can 25 Liberal College Students Outsmart 1 Conservative?" Now sitting at over 20 million views, the video highlighted Withers's effective debating skills, something Kirk recognized when he told the young content creator, "that's the best point somebody has made." While his segment of Withers's time was cut quite short, he continued to grow his platform, going on various larger channels to debate other conservative thinkers. Withers made another video with Jubilee Media in which he debated 20 Trump supporters. Not long after, he went on the Emily Saves America podcast to debate conservative host Emily Wilson on various subjects regarding their different political views. This podcast episode led multiple snippets of the debates to go viral, including one in which Wilson states that slavery should be re-instated should everyone in the state agree. In response to the backlash Wilson received, Withers celebrated his victory on X, while Wilson attacked Withers's integrity and masculinity, calling him a homophobic slur in the process.
Dean Withers has also had his own set of controversies, which he addressed in that same Emily Saves America podcast. Backlash occurred after several screenshots of Withers using the N-word appeared on social media. Withers has since apologized and says he has changed from how he was when he made those comments when he was 14. However, this controversy has yet to stop Withers as he continues collaborating with other content creators to spread his political message. In his most recent efforts, Withers has been going around the University of Michigan's campus to speak with various potential swing-state voters. This move has been celebrated by many social media users, viewing his efforts as a selfless act of protecting democracy. While Withers is not the first content creator to go viral for being a skilled political debater, his fast-moving career reveals the importance of this type of content. More people are using social media to inform themselves about politics, and these platforms are elevating the voices of young people. The increased control audiences have over whose voices they choose to amplify leads to a greater diversification of content and its creators, something more traditional and mainstream news media has often been criticized for lacking.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV29R1M25n8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68aej2qmCtw&t=3796s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdnBGtP7AII&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iyYTZEixzFs
https://www.latintimes.com/slavery-reinstated-debate-conservative-influencer-debate-emily-wilson-562767
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFpLhAbf/
Dean Withers’s rise highlights the impact that young content creators can have on political discourse through social media. By effectively debating established figures like Charlie Kirk and using platforms like Jubilee Media and various podcasts, he’s demonstrated how social media allows fresh voices to reach audiences in ways traditional media often does not. Despite the controversies he’s faced, Withers has maintained a following and continues to engage with important political issues, like reaching potential swing-state voters. His success underscores a shift in how people—especially young audiences—engage with politics today, valuing accessible, relatable voices that mainstream media may overlook. It’s exciting to see social media creating space for diverse perspectives and encouraging a new generation to participate actively in democratic processes.
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