Sean Spicer has been everywhere, he knows everyone, and he’s got the inside scoop.
“People come to the show because I understand the [political] process probably better than anybody,” Spicer told Barrett Media.
“Between [my experience in] the military, the White House, the RNC, Capitol Hill, and the executive branch, I can look at a situation from almost every angle.”
His podcast, The Sean Spicer Show, streams across multiple audio platforms as well as YouTube, and he assures his listeners they are going to receive “an insight that they’re not gonna see anywhere else.”
You’ll catch Spicer keeping connected with his audience before (and after) his show. “Social media is critical to the success and growth of any independent show,” Spicer, who was recently promoted to Naval Captain by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, affirmed. “That’s where you have a conversation with people who are loyal listeners or watchers of the show. I think it’s absolutely critical.”
“Social media is our marketing,” the podcast host said. “Whether it’s X, Rumble, [or other social media], we’re everywhere trying to bring in an audience. I mean, and that’s… that is our marketing campaign.”
According to the former White House Communications Director, marketing his show is “not that dissimilar” from marketing a political campaign.
“I’ve always said that politics and campaigns are marketing 101. Instead of selling a product, you’re selling a person, or a policy, or an idea,” Spicer remarked. “You’re trying to get people to vote, to volunteer, to donate, to activate in some way.”
He later added, “With a show, you’re trying to get them to tune in, to watch, to listen. It’s the same principle, but you want to get them invested in the show.”
“Die-hard superfans” are in Spicer’s show chat at 6 PM. The interaction for the podcaster is a lot of fun, “because you get to engage with them on a very personal level about issues, how they think a certain guest is doing, what they think of a certain topic, etc.”
This interaction has allowed Spicer and his team to get a better idea of what his superfans want. “We had a huge success with the Road to 270 series,” Spicer noted.
“Where we went through every state in the lead-up to the election, what the polling showed, what insiders were saying about where the race was. We used a lot of public and private data. People loved it!” Spicer exclaimed.
Viewers aren’t the only ones who love the interaction. Spicer himself claims to love “the feedback and the impact that people have with the show,” as it can help with decisions his team makes tomorrow.
While the audio-only side of the podcast is extremely important, Spicer has seen tremendous growth on the YouTube side as well. He believes the video element of his podcast is “where the future is.”
“I think we might have one more election where legacy TV is still sort of the 800-pound gorilla, but more and more, podcasts are going to become the dominant force, because people want a sense of familiarity with their host,” Spicer effused.
It is this familiarity that Spicer gives his audience daily. “What I try to give them every day is having a conversation with them in the chat and online, through email—that’s where people are going.” He then underscored his goal for the coming elections: “to become the place to be for politics and analysis as we head into the 2028 election cycle.”
Naval Captain, Press Secretary, communications director of the Republican National Committee, sixth-place winner on Dancing with the Stars, talk-show host, and so much more — Spicer has lived life to the fullest every day, connecting with so many Americans in the process. Despite the fancy titles, there is one he does not want his name associated with: journalist.
“I’m not a journalist. I am in the media, but I’m opinion [news]. I’m a proud social conservative [and] fiscal conservative who supports Donald Trump,” Spicer affirmed. “I’m not and don’t ever want to purport to be a journalist, because I think that’s important to distinguish.”
If your goal is to be in media, politics, or both, Spicer’s advice is simple: “Get into the game.”
“When I first went to DC, I volunteered for everything,” Spicer recalled. “I helped at fundraising dinners, I did Bob Dole’s clips in the morning. (For people who don’t remember that there used to be newspapers, you would clip them.)”
After getting into the game, Spicer says it is imperative to “be authentic and grow an audience. It’s not going to happen overnight. Like, it’s a grind to grow an audience, especially now.” He added, “So you’ve got to figure out who you are, what’s unique about what you’re saying or doing, and then grind away at it.”
Today, Captain Spicer is still grinding away. While he has yet to sit in the White House’s new media seat, he hopes to be back in the Press Briefing Room on the other side of the very familiar Press Secretary podium.
“It would be kind of fun to be part of it, and I hope someday that the stars do align,” the former White House Press Secretary said. “But in the interim, the relationships that I have allow me to get information to share with my audience that I think sometimes is exclusive and really goes to why my show is different from everything else out there.”
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Krystina Alarcon Carroll contributes features and columns for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
