Today, Explained

Thirst trap politics

October 16, 2026
Thirst trap politics

The internet has a crush on some of the candidates running for office this election season and it’s saying a lot about how Democrats and Republicans wield sexuality.

This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt with help from Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed at a town hall event on September 3, 2026 in Waterford, Michigan. Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images.

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