By Carson Carpenter and Stryder Bigler |

In 2016, when Donald Trump announced his candidacy, he took the political world by storm. Trump introduced an entire generation of young men and women to a new kind of politics. His charisma and iconic moments fueled a political machine that reached its peak in the 2024 Presidential Election.

In the wake of that election, a large base of young conservative men and women, highly invested into the political state of the United States, have been left behind. While voices throughout the political sphere have sought to align themselves with this wave of young activists, the most successful have not been journalists or politicians. It’s been the content creators.

An entire generation of young adults are hungry for political content, but few understand them enough to provide it. The legacy media has abandoned the youth in support of an audience that has retained viewership. This doesn’t further any agenda but holds one captive. Creators like Dean Withers have begun to fill that void in progressive spaces, preaching politics but more importantly allowing direct open communication with his audience. That connection has created a cult-like following around these new Gen Z creators. And it’s exactly what we’re hoping to do with Off The Record USA (OTR-USA).

OTR-USA represents a platform for young conservatives, enabling them to grow and share their thoughts and opinions openly and honestly. With a goal to bring both sides closer together, we are looking for any voices, liberal or conservative, that are willing to have open and honest dialogues.

As Arizona natives, both of us have contributed to our communities. Carson graduated from ASU and has spent time developing relationships within Arizona politics, building a network of support that he used to grow ASU’s College Republicans.

Stryder is currently studying Journalism and Political Science at ASU and has contributed to several different clubs on campus, including the Emmy award-winning Walter Cronkite Sports Network.

With OTR-USA, we hope to empower young creators to amplify their messages and broaden their influence while getting to the truth in our country through investigative journalism, interviews, and connecting back to our communities.

In an age where information is easily accessible, audiences are desperate for the truth. And we will use our influence to promote the importance of loving one’s country, along with the values that make America great.

Join us, as we fight for a better future.

Carson Carpenter graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and serves as Co-Founder & CEO of Off The Record USA.

Stryder Bigler is currently studying Journalism and Political Science at Arizona State University and serves as Co-Founder & COO of Off The Record USA.