A Florida radio station has rebranded itself as "Trump Country" in homage to President Donald Trump, a move its general manager says has tripled ratings among the key 25-54 demographic.
"We didn't ask for permission," 93.7 WEHL's Jim Schwartzel told CBS News. "But I don't think that the president or anybody else would really be upset by it. We looked at it as comedy."
The Fort Myers station executed the rebrand on the day of Trump's second inauguration, complete with a new slogan, "Make Country Great Again," a voice actor mimicking Trump for its station imaging, and website images of a cowboy hat–clad Trump, reported Mediaite on Tuesday.
Its programming leans heavily into MAGA culture, promoting contests that pledge to "trigger tofu-eaters" and segment gimmicks like "The Cancel Bowl," which encourages listeners to ridicule the "most pathetic woke thing" they've seen.
One promo declares: "They canceled team names, the Anthem, even halftime shows … now it's 4th and WOKE, and we're calling the plays."
Listeners are invited to leave voicemails, with weekly prizes including the "Trump Country Tailgate Command Kit, which includes a flamethrower grill starter, a rack of ribs, a camo cutting board, and flag toothpicks.
Another prize, the "Freedom Five Thousand," offers $5,000 to spend on "guns, grills, steaks, ammo, flags, or anything guaranteed to trigger your liberal cousin."
Schwartzel, a Republican who has just announced a congressional bid in Florida's 19th District, framed the rebrand as both entertainment and business strategy.
The district, currently represented by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who is running for governor, covers Lee County, where Trump took 64% of the vote in 2024.
The "Trump Country" theme, Schwartzel acknowledged, doubles as a political branding play in a region deeply aligned with the former president.
His campaign site touts his "conservative values," and declares that he is running for office "to give President Donald J. Trump the support he needs."
Schwartzel said he decided to name his radio station after Trump months before he launched his campaign, and added that he does not appear on the station so he can avoid requirements to offer other candidates equal air time under federal law.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the political spectrum, billionaire financier George Soros' Soros Fund Management has become a major force in radio by taking a large ownership stake in Audacy, the nation's second-largest broadcaster behind iHeartMedia.
Soros cleared Audacy's debt last year, a move that drew criticism from many Republican lawmakers who opposed the takeover.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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