Biederman is one of three co-founders and regular co-hosts of Chapo Trap House (Chapo), a for-profit socialist podcast. As of March 2019, Chapo was reportedly grossing more than $120,000 per month through the website Patreon.Commenting on the appeal of Chapo, Biederman has said that it “can be very isolating” to advocate for far-left opinions, such as the “brutality of our foreign policy” or the “inefficacy of liberalism’s current form.” He notes the show’s fans often write in to thank the hosts with such praise as “I thought I was the only person who felt this way” and “this keeps me from intentionally smashing my car into a divider on the way to work.” He characterizes his objectives for Chapo as to produce a show for such people that “just makes people’s days easier.”
Biederman has also noted it is particularly gratifying when listeners use information obtained on the show to agitate for policy changes. One example he cites is a student listener who went to see former U.S. diplomat Dennis Ross speak, and then used the opportunity to challenge Ross about American policy toward Saudi Arabia. Biederman says the ability to inspire that behavior in listeners is “better than anything I ever thought I could do in my life.”
Motivating listeners to act is an important objective. He says the animating principle for the show must be more than mere opposition to a particular political force, such as President Trump: “If you build it all around resisting Trump and not about what you’re going to give people, are you going to get them to vote a year from now?
