Chen began her online career in 2016, using themoniker "RoamingMillennial" onYouTube. Her videos focused on various political and social issues from a conservative viewpoint, including critiques ofimmigration,LGBTQ+ rights andfeminism. These views helped her gain a significant following among conservative audiences.[14][5][13]
Throughout her rise in the conservative media sphere, Chen's platform facilitated connections with both mainstream conservative figures and more controversial individuals. In 2017, she interviewedRichard Spencer, awhite supremacist and prominent figure in thealt-right movement, though she publicly distanced herself from hiswhite nationalist views. By positioning herself as a more moderate voice while engaging with controversial figures, she became a bridge betweenmainstream conservatism and thefar-right online ecosystem.[13]
By 2019, Chen had accumulated over 400,000 subscribers on her (now-suspended) YouTube channel and continued to expand her presence. She became a contributor to CRTV, which later merged withGlenn Beck'sTheBlaze, where she hosted her own show,Pseudo-Intellectual.[18][19][20] She contributed toTurning Point USA,[21][22] anAmerican conservative nonprofit organization.[23]
In 2021, she began contributingop-eds toRT, a Russianstate media outlet, publishing articles with headlines such as "America’s 'white supremacy' is a myth" and "If you’re American and oppose war with Russia, expect to be smeared as unpatriotic." According to a federal indictment, Chen, identified as "Founder-1," was allegedly compensated by RT to create and publish over two hundred videos on her personal YouTube channel without disclosing the source of funding.[13]
On January 19, 2022,[24] Chen co-foundedTenet Media with her husband, Liam Donovan.[24][25][26][27][28] In January 2023, Chen allegedly received a contract from RT to recruit other commentators for Tenet Media as part of the former's efforts to influence U.S. public opinion. Chen recruited conservative or conservative-adjacent commentators Matt Christiansen, Tayler Hansen,Benny Johnson,Tim Pool,Dave Rubin, andLauren Southern to be a part of the Tenet Media network.[29] Despite her role at Tenet, her name did not appear on the company’s website, nor did she publicly associate her title with the organization on social media.[13]
During this period, Chen made public statements that aligned her with fringe and extremist voices. She expressed support forwhite supremacist streamerNick Fuentes's anti-Israel stance on theIsrael–Hamas war and criticized U.S. support for Ukraine. For instance, she suggested that former U.N. AmbassadorNikki Haley should "move to Ukraine and run for its presidency." These positions contributed to a decline in support from some of her previous mainstream conservative audience.[13][30]
A federal indictment unsealed in September 2024 accused Tenet Media of receiving funding and direction from acovert operation funded byRussia to disseminate pro-Russian propaganda within the United States.[31][32][33] The indictment, filed in theSouthern District of New York, alleged thatRussian state-controlled media company RT funneled nearly $10 million to Tenet Media to create and distribute content favorable to Russian interests, aimed at amplifying U.S. domestic divisions. The indictment specifically named Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, employees of RT, as the main operatives behind the funding.[34][29]
The Justice Department said that Tenet Media, referred to as "US Company 1" in the indictment, produced numerous videos that supported Russia's geopolitical aims and received significant views on platforms such asYouTube,Twitter, andTikTok. These activities were part of broader Russian efforts to influence U.S. public opinion ahead of the 2024 elections.[14] Although the indictment suggested that not all individuals affiliated with Tenet were aware of the source of funding, it highlighted that founders, including Chen, were cognizant of their financial backers and actively concealed this information.[29]
The indictment was revealing: "The unsealed indictment said the founders of the unidentified company — widely reported to be Tenet Media — knew their funding came from 'the Russians.'"[35] It alleges the Tenet founders masked their Russian funding by creating a fictitious persona of a wealthy European sponsor, "Eduard Grigoriann."[10] The charged Russian nationals, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, were involved in day-to-day operations of Tenet by fall 2023, using false names to conceal they were Russian RT employees. The indictment alleges the founders acknowledged in private communications that their "investors" were actually the "Russians."[24][14]
Attorney generalMerrick Garland said Tenet "never disclosed to the influencers or to their millions of followers its ties to RT and the Russian government."[36] Prosecutors also allege the $10 million was a Russianmoney laundering operation.[14]
On September 10, five Canadian members of parliament issued a letter calling for Chen to testify before a Canadian parliamentary committee.[37]
After being summoned, Chen appeared with counsel during the hearing on November 5, 2024, and refused to answer any questions, citing the American criminal investigation. This prompted the committee, comprising MPs from all parties, to unanimously vote to send the matter to the House of Commons as a potentialcontempt of parliament case.[38]
Following the indictment's public release, Tenet Media and the involved commentators, including Chen, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. As of September 6, two days after the indictment was revealed publicly, Chen had not posted on social media since the indictment.[39]
In response to the indictment, BlazeTV officially fired her.[40][41] HerTurning Point USA profile was also removed.[39] Her channels, as well as that of Tenet Media, weretaken down by YouTube.[42][43] Tenet Media has since been shuttered.[44]
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