In an industry long accused of blacklisting conservative viewpoints, one publicist has decided to turn political exile into opportunity. Vanessa Santos — founder of Renegade PR — has built a boutique agency dedicated to representing voices that traditional Hollywood publicity firms avoid.
Her client list reads like a who’s-who of right-leaning or politically controversial figures: Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, Drea de Matteo, Roseanne Barr, Riley Gaines, and Tim Pool.
“Since Donald Trump burst onto the political scene in 2016, Hollywood and the mainstream media mostly have treated MAGA voices like garbage,” Santos told Variety.
From Publishing to Political PR
In 2021, amid growing cancellations and online pile-ons targeting outspoken conservatives, Santos quit her publishing job and launched Renegade PR in Washington, D.C.
“I knew that Trump was going to win, and so I knew that business was going to bang,” she said.
The homepage for Renegade PR – renegadepr.com
She describes her business philosophy with a line borrowed from Michael Jordan. When asked why he never get political, Jordan said, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”
“That quote — ‘Republicans buy sneakers too’ — lives in my brain,” Santos said. “You can’t just cut off that many people.”
As the 2024 election reshaped the cultural landscape, Santos’s three-person firm found itself uniquely positioned. With Donald Trump back in the White House and corporate titans like Larry Ellison, Tim Cook, and Jeff Bezos warming to the new administration, Hollywood’s gatekeepers began re-evaluating their approach to conservative audiences.
“Lean In, Don’t Hide”: The Drea de Matteo Story
Among Santos’s most powerful endorsements comes from The Sopranos star Drea de Matteo, a self-described lifelong Democrat who was dropped by her agent after criticizing vaccine mandates during the global lockdowns.
Feeling abandoned, de Matteo began interviewing publicists to “troubleshoot my certain demise.” Then she met Santos.
“Vanessa was a f’ing tiger,” de Matteo recalled. “She flew here. She wouldn’t leave me alone. I was like, ‘Holy s***, I’ll let this kid run with this.’ And my life changed because of her.”
Under Santos’s guidance, de Matteo stopped apologizing and instead leaned into her convictions — appearing on Jesse Watters Primetime and Club Random with Bill Maher ahead of the 2024 election.
Breaking the Hollywood Echo Chamber
A Michigan native and proud Republican, Santos says she grew up watching Hannity & Colmes and admired pundits who challenged liberal orthodoxy.
“I am obsessed with Scott Jennings,” she told Variety, praising CNN’s decision to feature conservative voices on Abby Phillip’s show. “I am so sick and tired of everybody just existing in their own echo chambers.”
Roseanne Barr being interviewed – YouTube, The Sage Steele Show
Santos argues that conservative representation doesn’t just promote balance — it’s good business. She cites 2024’s breakout success of Matt Walsh’s satire Am I Racist?, which became the highest-grossing documentary of 2024 despite minimal mainstream coverage.
Similarly, she called A24’s Eddington — a dark comedy skewering lockdowns and protest politics — a “missed opportunity” for the studio’s marketing team.
“They should have been on Joe Rogan, on Tim Pool,” she said. “They should have had Austin Butler do something with Russell Brand. People are so scared.”
Redefining “Risky” Clients
Santos’s model challenges the unspoken rules of entertainment publicity — rules that often equate political conservatism with brand toxicity.
“I really want to foster the ability for people to talk about politics without fear of being canceled,” she said. “There’s a lot of people out there who are afraid of being dropped by their representatives. That’s crazy.”
Publicist Vanessa Santos, who represents conservative voices most publicists won’t touch, says Hollywood’s treatment of right-leaning individuals inspired her to launch her own firm, Renegade PR:
“I knew that Trump was going to win, and so I knew that business was going to… pic.twitter.com/jSzkEzeCLi
— Variety (@Variety) October 9, 2025
She’s not alone in seeing the market gap: Variety notes that New York-based Mitchell Jackson, who represents Candace Owens and Brett Cooper, is one of the few other publicists working with similarly controversial clients.
But Renegade PR has stood out for blending aggressive advocacy with crisis-ready strategy — especially in an era when threats have moved beyond social media.
In an Age of Fear, A Loyal Ally
Just hours after Santos’s interview with Variety, political violence struck when conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated. While she didn’t represent him directly, she had collaborated with him — and the incident underscored the volatility surrounding public figures on both sides of the aisle.
Charlie Kirk sits in front of a microphone for a YouTube video – YouTube, Charlie Kirk
Former View co-host Meghan McCain praised Santos’s empathy and professionalism, stating: “I have someone that I don’t have to explain why I’m scared,” McCain said, referencing her own public events. “Just having discussions with her about crazy people possibly showing up — I don’t have to explain to her, and it’s wonderful.”
The Bottom Line
Vanessa Santos’s rise represents a larger shift in entertainment: the growing recognition that conservative audiences aren’t a fringe market — they’re half the country.
Roseanne Barr in an interview – YouTube, Bunnie Xo
As studios, streaming networks, and agencies navigate the new political reality of 2025, Santos and Renegade PR have positioned themselves as both a refuge and a warning.
Whether Hollywood sees her as a disruptor or a necessary corrective, her message is clear: in the business of storytelling — and in America — everyone buys sneakers.
How do you feel about Vanessa Santos and Renegade PR giving a voice to conservative celebrities? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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