The MAGA Lifestyle Influencer Bait And Switch

Alt-right women posing as lifestyle content creators are virtual sleeper cells for MAGA sexist politics

LEFT: Alex Clark. Image Credit: Alex Clark. RIGHT: Brett Cooper. Image Credit: Brett Cooper.

When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posts his apparent support for the idea that women should lose the right to vote and instead allow their husbands to speak for them, we see this as a straightforward example of regressive MAGA sexism laid bare on social media.

When, however, Christian influencer Alex Clark posts on Instagram about Lindsay Lohan’s facelift, her favorite smoothie recipe for “glowing” skin, or the right age to send your child to daycare, the calculated malintent is less obvious.

Women like Clark—who hosts the Culture Apothecary podcast under the umbrella of Charlie Kirk’s conservative youth organization Turning Point USA—are part of a growing movement of far-right or alt-right women who use seemingly innocuous lifestyle and wellness content to draw unwitting women into their fandoms. What happens next is a bait and switch.

Once they’re on the MAGA creator’s feed, the unsuspecting audience is fed a much more serious and indoctrinating type of content alongside the casual lifestyle fare. Take for example, as in Clark’s case, the idea that women who prioritize their babies’ sleep might really just hate their husbands, or that it’s funny to insult people worried about getting the measles, no need to get vaccines for your children(!), or that you really might want to consider just prioritizing serving and obeying your husband as a lifestyle tip. One troubling recent video, billed as a “wife school” episode, is titled “How to Nag Less and Let Him Lead.”

These conservative commentators find fresh female audiences, who are initially drawn in by entertainment content with mass appeal, and then find themselves confronted with ideological messages about traditional gender roles and the importance of giving up personal power to the men in their lives.