Trisha Paytas, a longtime YouTube creator and internet personality, has suggested she may run for Congress in 2026.
The 37-year-old raised the possibility in a YouTube video posted on January 5 titled 2026 Manifestations, saying she would “love to run” for a seat in the US House of Representatives in California, where she lives with her husband, Moses Hacmon, and their three children.
How Paytas floated the idea of running
Paytas later reinforced the idea in a TikTok video, telling followers she was “currently Googling” how to run for Congress.
YouTube star Trisha Paytas has hinted she may run for Congress in 2026, saying motherhood changed how she views politics and the future. The internet personality floated the idea in recent YouTube and TikTok videos.#TrishaPaytas #YouTubeStar #USPolitics #Congress2026 pic.twitter.com/5MusuqWxBm
— LoudFact News 📰 (@loudfactcom) January 6, 2026
Explaining how the idea emerged, she said it came to her “in a dream — in a vision, if you will,” adding that the thought of representing California felt “so vivid” to her.
Motherhood and shifting priorities
Paytas said becoming a mother in 2022 significantly changed her perspective on politics and the future.
“I never thought of myself as a political person until I started having kids,” she said, adding that concerns about the world becoming “disastrous” or “dystopian” by the time her children reach adulthood motivated her thinking.
She also said she has been troubled by “watching the world just crumble, little-by-little.”
Policy ideas and campaign messaging
When discussing potential policy goals, Paytas said she would like to raise the minimum age for participation in the adult industry to 25.
According to a 2021 article by Vulture, Paytas previously estimated that about 70% of her income came from adult content platform OnlyFans.
She also hinted at a possible campaign slogan, saying, “California could be good,” before adding that the state “just need[s] to figure out a better system for everyone and everything.”
Career background and political history
Paytas first rose to prominence through viral YouTube videos, reality television appearances — including My Strange Addiction — and a series of highly publicised online feuds.
Her political views have shifted over time. In 2012, she publicly supported Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, later backing Donald Trump during the 2016 election. In 2019, she posted a video titled I do not support Trump, which has since been deleted.
Ahead of the 2020 election, Paytas said she voted for Joe Biden, explaining that he had “quoted Hamilton.”
What comes next
Paytas has not formally announced a campaign or filed any paperwork. Her comments remain exploratory, and it is unclear whether she intends to pursue a congressional run.
