The following content is sponsored by PragerU. This is the third in a three-part series. Click for part one here and part two here.
Social media sensation Xaviaer DuRousseau, a former Black Lives Matter activist who “accidentally red-pilled” himself while watching PragerU videos, has launched a new show, Respectfully, Xaviaer, with PragerU.
On the show, DuRousseau dives into pop culture and politics through the lens of someone who has been on both sides of the political aisle, using his quick wit and humor to break down relevant topics through his unique perspective.
In a recent interview, DuRousseau got personal about his background, who he was, how he came to be a conservative, and what he’s doing now.
What about the conservative moment shifting its identity in the wake of the Make America Great Again movement? Conservatives used to be more country club-esque, now they’re pro-union. They used to be pro-Big Pharma, pro-war, pro-feds. Now they’ve taken a 180 while the left has adopted a positive attitude toward those entities. What do you make of that?
“The conservative movement has adapted to maintaining the pro-American and founding fathers’ values of the country,” DuRousseau said.
“But the Republican Party has always supported the working class,” he continued. “Ultimately, I just think that everybody wants to see America be strong and independent, and the changes you’ve seen in the conservative movement are the changes that are necessary to maintain a strong, independent nation that puts America first.”
I love that your show examines entertainment, fashion, and L.A. social scenes in addition to politics, because as Andrew Breitbart famously said, “Politics is downstream from culture,” meaning we have to have influence in culture if we want to win politically. We seemed to have reached a cultural tipping point in 2024. How do you see that momentum continuing in 2025?
“Everything is going to continue to elevate because we’ve reset the standards in every single way,” DuRousseau said. “We’re no longer pushing for DEI. When you stop pushing for DEI, it doesn’t mean no diversity, it means you’re going to have the best people in the position they deserve to be in.”
“As a black person, I am so confident in the abilities and capabilities of black people that I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat. I think we’re just going to be in better positions,” the conservative influencer added.
DuRousseau also shared that he is excited to see “music, movies, comedy,” and “beauty standards” go back to where they should be.
“Everything is going to be better again, because people are going to be creative again and pushing the envelope,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that people are going to be unhinged and hateful, it just means that people no longer feel like they have guard rails on every single element of culture.”
“We’re going to bring back beauty standards, health standards,” DuRousseau added. “Health and beauty are synonymous to me, and I feel like for so long we were told to celebrate [the opposite].”
“When beauty is represented by nothing, then nothing is beautiful,” DuRousseau contended.
DuRousseau with Vivek Ramaswamy, Amy Robbins, Emily Wilson, Tucker Carlson, and incoming Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Photo courtesy of Xaviaer DuRousseau)
DuRousseau added that he loves seeing conservatives finally be more tuned into culture, “because you have no political power if you haven’t won culture.”
The PragerU personality elaborated:
In order to have political power in our country, you have to be voted in, and you’re not going to get any votes if you’re not winning over culture — and people are finally starting to understand the significance of that.
That was a goal on mine the second I moved to L.A., it was how do I get more influencers, more celebrities, more people to be vocal and upfront about [their conservative views]. When I moved to L.A. I thought everybody was going to hate me and make me an outsider because I’m conservative — but no, the second I got here, I realized I had more support here than I ever could have imagined. Because all these different celebrities and public figures, and everyone else, were coming up to me and letting me know that they support my content and love everything I stand for.
“They were just afraid to say it [publicly], because they didn’t want to be canceled,” DuRousseau said. “But now cancel culture is canceled, and you’re seeing more and more people unapologetically stand for what’s right.”
I saw a photo of you with Amber Rose. Was she one of these celebrities who came up to you?
“She was,” DuRousseau confirmed. “I’m not a name-dropper, but I’ll mention her just because she already is so public. She’s one of the many people who reached out to me in the Hollywood world who is Republican but hadn’t spoken out about it yet.”
“When she first followed me I went into shock because I always thought she was a radial leftist,” he added. “But then she reached out to me and wanted to get Erewhon smoothies because she was a big fan of my ‘walk with me‘ videos.”
DuRousseau added that when he first met Rose, “she told me her whole story and it aligned with mine.”
“We became so close the second we sat down together, and now she’s one of my favorite people in the entire world,” he said.
DuRousseau with friend, model Amber Rose. (Photo courtesy of Xaviaer DuRousseau)
DuRousseau went on to say that he and Rose discussed “the pros and cons of her finally being public about the fact that she is no longer a leftist” the day she came out publicly in support of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“Her speaking at the RNC, I feel like was one of the most historic moments of this election cycle,” he said.
DuRousseau explained that for “someone like Amber Rose come forward — not as a model, not as an actress, but as a mother — that really shifted so many conversations in the black community, where black people finally started being honest with each other that none of us support the woke nonsense anymore.”
Segueing to covering fashion on your show, how excited are you about our new First Lady?
“Melania Trump is such an icon. Her in that hat sent chills down my body,” DuRousseau said, recalling the First Lady’s inauguration attire.
“Melania Trump was serving Kill Bill Volume 47. She was giving Princess Diana’s Avenger. She was giving, ‘Okay, ladies, now let’s get information,’” DuRousseau quipped.
The conservative influencer added that he wants to see the Melania Trump finally get the recognition she deserves for being “the fashion icon that she is.”
“During her first go in the White House, she should have been acclaimed for being one of the most glamorous women to have ever graced this country as First Lady, but instead they paid her dust, knowing that she was serving looks,” DuRousseau said.
“She is our country’s Princess Diana, except Donald Trump is going to take care of her,” he asserted.
What inspired the title of your show?
“A lot of the times I will go on a rant, and I will sound so harsh, but in my mind it’s just me giving objective criticism — because this is how I always talk, to even my friends — and then at the end, I’m just like, ‘Respectfully,’” DuRousseau laughed.
“Like, I just read you for filth, but I meant so so respectfully, because I want you to do better,” he bantered, before noting that conservative activist CJ Pearson “helped me come up with the idea.”
DuRousseau with CJ Pearson at the 2023 Republican Primary debates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Xaviaer DuRousseau)
Will we be seeing any guests on Respectfully, Xaviaer in the future?
“I have a star-studded lineup of people I want on the show,” DuRousseau answered. “I want people on the show who are culturally relevant, who are interesting, have incredible backstories, or even people I drastically disagree with.”
“I want to have a range of people on the show and just give them a place to speak their mind and speak their piece in a way that hasn’t been done since Wendy Williams,” DuRousseau jested.
“I want to bring back nuanced conversations,” he added, noting that much of his content so far has been short clips on social media. “But I have so much more I want to say, and I feel like this is going to allow me to show more range of my perspective.”
What’s great about long-form is that in addition to providing viewers with more information on a subject, they can also dive deeper into your personality and really get to know you. Once that happens, you get away with saying so much more because they know you on a personal level.
“Exactly,” DuRousseau reacted. “I’ve accepted a long time ago that I am a walking nuance, and having a 45-minute show allows me to finally showcase that.”
DuRousseau attending the 2023 Republican Primary debates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Xaviaer DuRousseau)
Viewers can tune in to watch “Respectfully, Xaviaer” on YouTube and at PragerU.com, or on PragerU’s free mobile app. The show features two live weekly episodes, airing every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00 p.m. PT, 6:00 p.m. ET.
