Tuesday, March 10, 2026, episode of the podcast The Excerpt: Aaron Parnas went on to graduate law school and become one of the most influential political voices on TikTok and Instagram. The independent reporter talks with USA TODAY senior reporter Jay Stahl about why young audiences trust him, how he tells news differently than traditional media and his goals for the future.
Press play in the player below to listen to the podcast and follow the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated and edited in its current format for clarity. There may be some differences between audio and text.
Podcast: For true crime stories, in-depth interviews, and more USA TODAY podcasts, click here
Jay Stahl:
From lawyer to TikTok star, Aaron Parnas’ career path was anything but typical. He was already in college at age 14, and by age 18 he was attending law school. Parnas is currently the most popular new Substack and independent reporter with around 8 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. There’s some news now, along with variations on his signature catchphrase. He also succeeded in something that mainstream media has really struggled to do: get Gen Z invested in politics and current events. So what’s his secret?
Hello. Welcome to this excerpt from USA TODAY. I’m Jay Stahl, senior reporter for USA TODAY. Today is Tuesday, March 10, 2026. I join Aaron Parnas now to talk about politics and his personal rise. Thanks so much for joining us, Aaron.
Aaron Parnas:
Very excited.
Jay Stahl:
So one of the things I wanted to ask you when we talked earlier is why do you think so many people trust you?
Aaron Parnas:
I guess that means I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong. I think that’s number one. Second, I think the way you see me online is the same way you see me in real life. The element of authenticity does exist. And thirdly, I think the way the information is presented is relatable. I provide information from my bed, from an airport bathroom, and from my Snuggy couch. It doesn’t matter where I am, what I look like, or what I sound like. I’m just providing you news and information. And, going back to my first point, I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong. I think it’s important in this day and age to not only provide accurate information, but when we do something wrong, when we misinform our viewers, to say it, share how it happened, why it happened, and correct our mistakes.
Jay Stahl:
Can you talk about the authenticity factor? I think for people our age, we’re 26 years old and you’ll be 27 in April. I think one of the things that people our age really struggle with when consuming news is that it doesn’t feel real. And it’s the difference between watching someone online from your couch and seeing them sitting in a chair at your anchor desk.
Aaron Parnas:
Listen, at the end of the day, I think… Growing up over the past five or six years, what really annoyed me was that I would turn on the TV or turn on a streaming service and often see news anchors who don’t look or sound like me talking about issues that matter to me. Some were much older and had been in the field much longer, but had never talked about the issues Gen Z cares about. So I’ve always thought that big media companies should hire younger anchors to reach younger audiences. Although some have done so in recent years, the average age of people still on TV is probably 40 to 50 years old. That’s 20 years older than me. And I think part of that is also where I share this information.
The average 26-year-old these days, as we all know, doesn’t have cable. We don’t regularly watch CNN, MSNow, or Fox News to stay informed. There’s TikTok, there’s Instagram. So the platforms that we’re on and the platforms that young people are on are simply… We’re looking for new places to get our news and new people to get our news from. In a way, it’s like a perfect storm.
Jay Stahl:
I think it’s interesting that you saw the meme and also all the TikToks about your work ethic. You’re basically a one-man machine working all day long. Can you talk about that and what it takes? I don’t have any of that in myself.
Aaron Parnas:
Yeah. I mean, I tell everyone that I’ve been burnt out ever since I started law school. The way I do this job is similar to how I work as a lawyer, working nonstop on big cases. So I wake up between 7:30 and 8:00 every morning. I usually get to my desk by 8am and work non-stop until I go to bed at 10pm and 11pm. I sleep comfortably for 8 to 9 hours every night, but I never miss work during the 16 hours of the day. In my case, I think my workflow is very different from the average person’s in that I’m very hyperactive. I have multiple screens in my house and constantly watch CSPAN and other news outlets. Tips arrive in my inbox daily. I have notifications on social media platforms of all congressmen and world leaders.
I mean, this is like a constant… Have you ever seen the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with 10 screens and different tickers on it? That’s what my life is like and my brain is like. That’s why I never concentrate on one thing for more than 5 minutes at a time. It’s like a constant stream of information. Are you healthy? Definitely not. But is it the key to success? Yeah.
Jay Stahl:
Speaking of success, last year was a great year. You were named one of Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30.” You hosted the first night of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ book tour and spoke at a roundtable with former President Obama. And I wanted to hear how that felt for you. What year was 2025 for you?
Aaron Parnas:
Yeah, I mean, I think 2025 was great. So, to this day, I haven’t even realized the rise of last year, especially the success of 2026 already. For me, this award is just recognition for my work. Those aren’t what I’m working toward, if that makes sense. I think Forbes is great, but I could do without it. I think Kamala’s book tour was great, but it could have been done without, but it’s the recognition that we’re doing something good. At the end of the day, for me, my goal in all of this is to fill the gap left in the fact that civics education and media literacy are not being taught to children across the country. And if I can educate some people, I’ll be doing my job.
Jay Stahl:
You told me that your goal is not to be famous, but something deeper. Can you talk about that, wanting to start a nonprofit, and the criminal justice work that interests you?
Aaron Parnas:
My childhood dream, my childhood dream job…The reason I went to law school was to be on the court. I wanted to be a public defender in the true sense of the word, fighting for people who can’t fight for themselves, people who can’t afford to fight for themselves. That was always the goal. In my opinion, one of the biggest problems in our justice system right now is the fact that public defenders are overworked and underpaid. I think my starting salary when I graduated from law school in Florida was $36,000 or $40,000 a year. And in Miami, that’s a wage that many people living in a city like Miami can’t live on. So my dream is to one day start a foundation or nonprofit that can help ease the burden on public defenders across the country and do that work for free.
Public Defender Jobs, Public Defenders shouldn’t have hundreds of cases in their workload, and they are some of the best lawyers in the country. They must be able to provide adequate legal representation without being overworked at all times. I mean, it’s like a pipe dream for me. I have no intention of continuing my current job forever. I would like to return to court someday.
Jay Stahl:
you do?
Aaron Parnas:
i will do it. Yeah.
Jay Stahl:
I don’t think you’ve ever said that to me.
Aaron Parnas:
Yeah. I mean, I don’t think there’s anything more exhilarating than standing up in front of a jury of six or 12 people or a judge and arguing. I mean, it’s really exciting.
Jay Stahl:
Really? I’m trying to stay out of court, Aaron.
Aaron Parnas:
I think everyone stays away from court unless they want to argue in court.
Jay Stahl:
Your father is Lev Parnas, who was involved in campaign finance crimes related to his former colleague Rudy Giuliani, and you came into the public eye several years ago. Many people our age don’t even know that. So I wanted to ask you if it’s positive for you to be known, but not yourself.
Aaron Parnas:
that’s right. But also, at this point, unfortunately, in this process of work, it’s kind of a given that I have to constantly define myself, redefine myself, and let people judge me, not the actions of others, including my family. I think the real problem in our society is this kind of judgmental impulse. And yes, my father’s sins are much greater and much more public than the average person’s. But if you asked 100 Americans today whether they want their parents to be judged, more than half would say no. You wouldn’t think so because your parents could go to jail or your parents could have an affair. In other words, there are many different things in the world that you don’t want to be criticized for. So it’s a constant struggle to have to define yourself as Aaron rather than Lev’s son.
Jay Stahl:
The final question is: What does the future hold? Looking ahead to the midterm elections and 2028, what do you think will happen next year?
Aaron Parnas:
Yeah, I mean, it’s just doing its job. That’s the future. And if I keep working hard every day until 2028, I will see where it takes me. I take advantage of every opportunity every day when they come. If you had asked me 10 years ago, would I be here now? They’ll say, “You’re crazy.” So, as someone who grew up always planning my life like, “I’m going to do this when I’m 20, I’m going to do this when I’m 30.” For the first time, I was able to say, “I’m just going to have fun, and I’m going to enjoy this job.” And I know that if I stop enjoying it, there will come a time when my clock in this industry will run out. I’m going to know it, realize it, and move on to bigger pastures.
So we don’t know if it’s the end of this year, the end of 2028, or 30 years from now. So I feel like I take each day as it comes.
Jay Stahl:
Thank you so much, Aaron. Thank you very much for your time.
Aaron Parnas:
This was great.
Jay Stahl:
We would like to thank Senior Producer Kaely Monahan for her production assistance. Executive producer is Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think about this episode by sending a note to podcasts@usatoday.com. Thank you for your attention. I’m Jay Stahl, senior reporter for USA TODAY. Tomorrow we’ll bring you another episode of USA TODAY Excerpts.
