New York Times Sets MAGA Influencer Straight After He Claimed They Offered $25K for an Interview

(Photo by Christian Monterrosa/Pacific Press/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

The New York Times has responded to MAGA influencer Elijah Schaffer’s claims that a mystery reporter offered to pay him $25,000 for an interview about the breakdown of his marriage.

Schaffer gained fame as the host of Slightly Offensive on BlazeTV, before launching his own media company, RiftTV. In February, he wrote on X, “My wife divorced me & took my kids and I have no idea where they are I’m sober. I’m sad. I have good support. Thank you for everyone supporting me during this rough season I’ll get through it.” Newsweek reported the post was viewed 3 million times before being deleted.

Now that post is the subject of Schaffer’s beef with The Times.

“The @nytimes offered to pay me $25,000 for an interview,” Schaffer posted this week.

He included screenshots of a lengthy text message from a phantom reporter named “Elena Vargas.”

“I left her info out to avoid doxing,” Schaffer wrote, continuing, “They actually wanted to play secretly wire tapped footage from my house in the interview to build their story. To get licensing rights. I told them to get FUCKED. They are the enemy.”

The text messages claimed, “We are in the final stages of preparing a comprehensive feature story examining the recent allegations that have garnered significant attention across social media and news outlets — specifically, the reported dissolution of your marriage to Kezia Schaffer, the claims of an extramarital relationship with a colleague at RiftTV, and the broader implications for figures who position themselves as advocates for traditional values.”

The messages went on to offer $25,000 “for an exclusive on-the-record interview.”

NY Times Communications responded on X Saturday:

“Mr. Schaffer, this is either someone misrepresenting themselves or outright scam attempt on you. There’s no reporter at The New York Times named “Elena Vargas” and our reporters don’t offer money,” the post said.

The Bulwark covered what it called Schaffer’s “bizarre downward spiral” on a February podcast, where journalist Tim Miller called Schaffer, “a bad person spreading lots of noxious information into our society.”

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