Meet John McEntee: Why I Started DateRightStuff

They say necessity is the mother of invention—and yeah, that feels about right. While I was working in the White House, I started noticing something that hit close to home: politics had become the number one dealbreaker in relationships. What used to be light conversations over dinner were turning into full-blown debates. And if you were a conservative living in a big city? Good luck out there. Most of the mainstream dating apps were practically built for liberals, and a lot of us were just left out of the equation. That’s when the idea for DateRightStuff really started to take shape.

In November 2022, we launched the app to give young conservatives a place to connect without walking on eggshells. No need to hide your values or play it cool about what you believe in. Just show up as yourself. And the response? Honestly, it blew me away. We hit over 300,000 users faster than I expected, rolled out on Android, and suddenly this small idea had real momentum.

But for me, DateRightStuff isn’t just about dating—it’s about building culture. When I started posting about the app, I figured I’d share a few updates, maybe some behind-the-scenes stuff. But things took off in ways I never imagined. The short videos—me giving dating takes while enjoying a good meal—started getting traction. And then it snowballed. Over 3 billion views later, we’ve built a following that’s not just watching, but actually joining in. People are quoting my lines, mimicking the delivery, and yeah, “got it” somehow became a thing. It’s been surreal, but also pretty cool to see the message land.

Before all of this, I was deep in the political world. I got my start in 2015 as a volunteer for Trump’s campaign in Trump Tower, then moved up quickly—first as Director of Trip Planning, then as Trump’s personal aide. Eventually, I led the White House Presidential Personnel Office, managing thousands of political appointments. I’ve stayed involved in policy work since then, including advising on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

But building DateRightStuff has been something different. It’s personal. It’s creative. And it feels like the right thing at the right time. We’re giving conservatives a way to meet, connect, and be proud of who they are in the process. We’re not just creating matches—we’re changing the dating culture, one swipe at a time.

So whether you're here for love, something casual, or just curious about what we’re doing—welcome. We're just getting warmed up.