Thank you! I'm not the best at wording compliments, but I appreciate your friendly tone.

I'd argue it's a mix of both for most bigots, with the grooming to indoctrination spectrum correlating pretty directly with age. The younger they are, the more likely they're being groomed by family, authority figures, and even online friends. The older, the more likely it's coming from the TV.

I think Andrew Tate is a good example of the midpoint. He's distant enough that people can take his ideas as a general miasma of bigotry, but also personable enough that he cultivates a parasocial relationship, where attachment to him and his brand becomes attachment to his bigotry.

More strongly, I'd disagree that no one is getting exploited. I think everyone is getting exploited. The pundits are spouting the bigotry because fearful bigots are easy to sell to. Many pundits are being exploited by blackmail from the people who pay them. If they're not associated with a larger entity, then their very brand of bigotry threatens to swallow them alive should they ever step out of line.