How the race to be Donald Trump's VP has sparked a gold rush for MAGA's top influencers and a civil war over work for RFK Jr.

Publicly, candidates for former President Donald Trump's running mate are appearing at fundraisers with the president as part of the auditioning process.

But behind-the-scenes, the race is a golden opportunity for online MAGA influencers, as several different forces are weaponizing top social consultants to shape their persona online.

It's a gold rush in influence circles, as multiple agencies are promoting different candidates but also hurting their opponents.

Stories like Kristi Noem shooting her dog was an obvious viral hit, but the intensity of the backlash raised suspicions about whether anyone was priming the pump.

Vice Presidential candidates are getting additional scrutiny on social media 

Other negative threads about possible vice presidential candidates like North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum popped up online, prompting some top MAGA social media personalities to wonder. Are people sharing this content on their own or is someone paying them?

It's a balance that has already raised suspicions from people who follow prominent accounts to question whether something going viral is organic or whether there is a little extra money sliding into the DM's to grease the skids.

Some top personalities have already publicly shared outrage when approached by firms asking them what their 'rates' are. Others quietly accept a little money to share something they are already interested in, and others raise their rates to new heights as their influence grows.

Besides, prominent Democratic firms have already fully implemented payment and influencer platforms to help spread their message across social media platforms. 

When Vivek Ramaswamy ended his campaign for president and endorsed former President Donald Trump, his Deputy Director of Communications Zach Henry was courted by some of the top MAGA influencers in the business after he had helped amplify Ramaswamy's campaign on social media.

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024

Zach Henry, former Deputy Director of Communications for Vivek Ramaswamy

But rather than join an existing firm, Henry had an idea to create his own business, an influencing platform that could deliver big hits for clients just as he helped do for Ramaswamy.

Henry's firm was new to the business, but he already had success getting clients who were interested in boosting their message on social media.

Other firms in the MAGA influencer space such as X Strategies, run by Alex Bruesewitz, Influenceable and Project Nucleus by Trump's former digital campaign chief Brad Parscale, and Trump's former White House chief digital officer Ory Rinat, who left in 2020 to start Urban Legend, a tech firm that openly recruits influencers to get paid on his platform.

It's a delicate process, but 'game respects game' in the public influencing firms and there is plenty of work for everyone.

Behind the scenes, however, MAGA forces began doing their own opposition campaign against one of their own, as they believed Henry had crossed the line.

Alex Bruesewitz (center) poses with President Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. 

Zach Henry started the social media influencer firm Total Virality 

The Washington Free Beacon published details of a Robert F. Kennedy FEC disclosure that Henry's Total Virality company had done work for his campaign.

Bruesewitz began fanning the flames against Henry, and any other firm that was doing work for RFK.

'RFK JR BUSTED PAYING 'RIGHT WING INFLUENCER' FIRM TO TRY TO TRICK REPUBLICANS INTO THINKING HE'S 'CONSERVATIVE,' he wrote in all caps on X. 'If you see a 'right wing' social media account defending or promoting RFK Jr., it's safe to assume that they are being paid by him.'

The message was reposted about an hour later by Donald Trump Jr.'s social media account, sending a warning to all MAGA personalities on social media.

If you are a 'right winger' and you are accepting money from RFK Jr to work against Trump and MAGA we won't forget,' he warned. 'Saving your country is more important than a few bucks to shill for a radical leftist.'

Hours later the Daily Caller published a leaked pitch deck from Henry's company, which featured his successful efforts to boost Kennedy's state of the union response video.

The document featured screenshots of prominent MAGA personalities and people on the right people sharing the Kennedy video as evidence of Henry's successful work on behalf of his client.

Prominent accounts featured on Henry's pitch deck publicly distanced themselves from Henry.

'I have no idea who you are and have never talked to you, and certainly have never agreed to "influencing" for your two-bit firm, with or without compensation,' wrote Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for President Trump and supporter of Gov. Ron DeSantis during the 2020 presidential primary in a public post directed at Henry. 

Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis 

'Trust me, Jenna, if you were included, it was definitely by accident. I only use A-list creators,' Henry replied.

As word got out, MAGA influencers turned on Henry, condemning him as an apostate to the movement. He watched as his one-time friends and colleagues appeared to be trying to destroy his business.

'I'm not surprised, but I am a little disappointed, yeah,' Henry told DailyMail.com. 'Most of these people I've known for years.'

At one point, it was not uncommon to see MAGA personalities sharing RFK Jr. content, as the legacy Democrat was an acceptable presense on the campaign trail, when he was believed to be a perfect spoiler for Biden.

Videos of a shirtless Kennedy working out were widely shared by MAGA supporters, as his physical prowess was a stark contrast to videos of a feeble President Joe Biden. Kennedy's positions on immigration and border security sparked interest as well as his condemnation of the government's role in handling the coronavirus. 

Photos of Robert F. Kennedy working out were once widely shared by MAGA influencers, impressed with his vitality over President Biden's 

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump

But polls now show that Kennedy's campaign could be a bigger problem for Trump, as his approval ratings with republicans are starkly higher than Democrats.

When Kennedy's name is included in a poll, Trump's slight leads over Biden sink even or even a couple of points below the president's.

Henry's publicly disclosed work for the campaign was a perfect opportunity for MAGA personalities to make an example of him to other influential online messengers.

'No amount of money he spends on paying influencers to promote him will erase that fact,' Bruesewitz said to DailyMail.com. 'Conservatives, especially MAGA republicans, know that RFK is a far-left whack job who can't be trusted.'

As MAGA began attacking Henry as an apostate, he was disillusioned with the community.

'Veer from acceptable orthodoxy even an inch and it's the electric chair!' he wrote on social media.

He admitted to DailyMail.com he was surprised by the vitriol of some of the attacks.

'I try to build relationships with people who I believe have a similar outlook on life—friendships and relationships come first, then business,' he said. 'But for some people, their bottom line will always come ahead of everything else, which is frankly sad.'

Ramaswamy, who was still doing a little business with Henry, ended his contracts with him, as he sought to distance himself from the controversy.

'It is now CONFIRMED that RFK Jr. has been paying right wing influencers to attack Trump and promote RFK,' Bruesewitz celebrated on X. 'Also to be clear Vivek Ramaswamy has FIRED this staffer.'

The blowup uncovers the delicate relationship that MAGA influencers have with each other and what happens when someone steps outside their ideology.

Donald Trump Jr. used the moment to discredit any social media about Kennedy going forward.

 'If you see so-called right wing accounts, I've seen a lot of them, promoting RFK Jr, it's safe to assume they are being paid,' he said on his Triggered Podcast, calling it a 'plot' against Trump. 'He's trying to trick MAGA to think he's a conservative but don't fall for it.'

A cornered and betrayed Henry appeared ready to throw some of his former colleagues under the bus, after his name was smeared all over the internet.

'Just remember, I didn't open it,' he wrote, sharing an image of Pandora's Box.