Anthony Polcari | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anthony John Polcari September 11, 1998 Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | University of Richmond (BA, 2021) |
| Occupation(s) | Television personality, social media influencer |
| Years active | 2023–present |
| Known for | "Vibrant masculinity" content |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 191,100+ as of December 2025 [update] |
Anthony John Polcari (born September 1998), known online as "Tony P" or "Tony P in DC," is an American social media influencer, consultant, and FOX 5 DC television personality based in Washington, D.C.
He gained prominence in 2023 through Instagram and TikTok videos documenting his everyday life as a young professional. [1] [2] [3]
Polcari was born in September 1998 in Methuen, Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border. [4] [2] His parents divorced when he was four years old, and he split time between them growing up. [2] He was raised in a working-class family north of Boston. His mother, Judie Polcari, would drop him off at a driving range before work, where he developed an interest in golf and eventually competed on the New England PGA Junior Tour. [2]
Polcari has said he was raised "by a village" that included his grandfather Dan Ferraro, who would quote Shakespeare, and his great-aunt Marie Donahue, who became like a second mother to him. [2] When Donahue died in 2012, she left him a collection of 70 Neil Diamond vinyl records, and Polcari often refers to Neil Diamond as his favorite artist. [2]
Polcari attended St. John's Preparatory School, an all-boys Catholic school in Danvers, Massachusetts, on a partial scholarship. [2] [5] During high school, he struggled with depression and contemplated suicide, but began therapy and leaned on his Catholic faith. [2] He participated in broadcasting for three years and served in student government. [3] In 2017, he won the school's Loyalty and Service Award. [2]
He enrolled at the University of Richmond in 2017. [6] During his time there, he served in student government, serving as co-president of the Richmond College Student Government Association in 2020–2021. [2] [7] [6] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Polcari organized weekly Zoom meetings open to the student body and worked with university administration on pandemic policies. [6]
He was involved in efforts to rename campus buildings named after individuals with ties to slavery and eugenics, including what he described as a year-long battle with the board of trustees that ultimately led to the renaming of six buildings. [2] [3] [7] [6] Polcari also helped implement a sexual assault reporting app that allowed survivors to bypass Title IX. [2] He resigned from his student government position in March 2021 after the Board of Trustees initially declined to rename certain halls. [6] He graduated from the University of Richmond in 2021. [7]
After graduation, Polcari worked briefly in accounting in Boston before taking a management consulting job and moving to Washington, D.C. [2] [3] He began posting content on Instagram in May 2023, initially sharing videos of his work outfits. [4] [1] His first major video was titled "A week in my life as a 24 year old bachelor in DC" received nearly 500,000 views. [5] By September 2023, he had accumulated over 66,000 followers, [2] a number which had grown to more than 200,000 by July 2024. [8]
His content typically features outfit reviews, cooking demonstrations (notably salmon and cod dishes), dating advice, and commentary on daily life in Washington, D.C. [1] [2] [5] The Washington Post characterized his videos as documenting "the blissful mundanity of his daily life," featuring activities like cooking, cleaning, watching Law & Order , and playing in a kickball league. [2]
Part of Polcari's online presence is his promotion of what he terms "vibrant masculinity." He has defined this as the ability to embrace traditionally masculine interests like sports and fitness while also being emotionally vulnerable, creative, and compassionate. [1] [3] [9] He has positioned himself as an alternative to manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate. [4] [1] [3] [5]
His fanbase, which calls itself "The P Hive," developed dedicated fan accounts. Polcari later learned the original P Hive account was secretly run by a group of his friends. [2] [6]
In 2024, Polcari left his consulting job. [10] He began appearing as a co-host on FOX 5 DC. [7] [10]
In July 2024, Polcari was hired by the U.S. Department of State to create a promotional video welcoming attendees to the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. [8] [11] [12] The video featured Polcari at landmarks including the Washington Monument, the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, and the White House, discussing NATO's history and mission. [8] [11] Polcari was one of several dozen social media influencers invited by NATO, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the State Department to participate in summit-related activities; he was not paid for the video. [8] He later admitted that when his agent first mentioned the NATO project, he misheard it as "Sharknado." [11] [12]
Polcari has worked with brands including Dunkin' Donuts, SeatGeek, and Subway (creating a signature sandwich called "the Tony P Special"). [2] [10]
Polcari attended the 2024 Democratic National Convention and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris during an appearance on Barstool Sports' podcast The Yak. [1] [7] Following the endorsement, he reported receiving threats from some followers who disagreed with his political stance. [1]
Polcari is Catholic. [5] He has been open about his past mental health struggles, including suicidal ideation during his youth and ongoing anxiety, and advocates for men seeking mental health support and therapy. [1] [2]
His mother struggled with opioid addiction. Polcari presented her with her 15-year sobriety medal. [2] He has cited his family history of addiction as influencing his own limited alcohol consumption. [1]
Polcari serves on the board of National Links Trust, an organization that expands golf and recreation access to underserved communities. [3]
He cites Regis Philbin and Ryan Seacrest as career inspirations, aspiring to become a talk show or game show host. [1] [11]
Polcari's earnest presentation style has generated both devoted fans and skeptical observers questioning whether his persona is genuine or satirical. [1] [2] [5] [13] The Washington Post described him as "radical[ly] earnest," writing that his "wholesomeness seems impossible" and his "sincerity seems otherworldly." [2] Slate characterized him as "preternaturally sincere," while GQ noted that "people meet me, they don't think I'm a real person." [1] [3] The Spectator World called him "the hottest influencer in DC." [5]
He has been compared to other creators promoting non-toxic masculinity, including Connor Hubbard and Davis Clarke, and has been described as part of a "new wave" of positive male influencers. [3]
His comments sections frequently feature both supportive messages and mockery. Addressing critics in an interview with The Washington Post, Polcari referenced the television series Mad Men : "I'm not thinking about you, but you're thinking about me." [8]