MAGA and the Mainstream: The Conservative Shift in America

By Kimaya Pinto

From the rise of fashion trends that promote modesty and traditional gender conformity. Buzzwords like Trad Wives, Clean Girl, Soft Life and the manosphere are being thrown around in the media. Queer influencers denouncing their identities and promoting subscription Bible apps to their followers are all reflections of the current social climate, the rise of conservatism, and its subtle manifestations in social media.

Figure 1:  Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash:

Nobody would have predicted that United States President Donald Trump would serve a second term in office until 5 November 2024, when the results of the national election were released and Republican supporters rejoiced at the victory of Donald Trump and his Conservative campaign, MAGA (Make America Great Again). The 2024 election results show that 56 per cent of male Gen Z voters and 40 per cent of female Gen Z voters cast their ballots for Trump, compared to 41 per cent of male and 30 per cent of female voters who voted for Trump in the previous election in 2021. This shift in the number of young Republican voters reflects what Schlesing Jr called the Pendulum Swing in his book The Cycles of American History (1986). “American politics shifts from liberalism to conservatism and back again within every generation.”

The rise of conservatism generally happens during a period of economic instability. America currently faces an economic recession due to the post-COVID-19 economic backlash, faltering external economies, and global conflict. Schlesing Jr mentions, "War, depression and inflation may heighten or complicate moods…” This stands true during periods of economic crisis and instability, when people struggle to support themselves and their families financially; they turn to tradition and predictability and fall for the allure of a “better period of time” in history, a time when a single source of income could provide for an entire family. The nostalgia for a time that is often over-glamourised and the illusion of the “American Dream” lead to the romanticisation of the traditional, heterosexual nuclear family; stay-at-home wives in “no-makeup” makeup looks and modest dresses who do domestic work and raise children; and a white picket fence home in a quiet suburb. These ideals are promised and promoted through conservatism and attract young people facing the struggles of an ever-growing, competitive, capitalist society.

Figure 2: Photo by Carrie Borden on Unsplash

The hemline index is a theory that suggests that length changes in the hemlines of skirts correlate with current economic conditions. During the 1960s, women wore shorter skirts during the wave of the feminist movement, which was seen as a liberal cause, and in the 1920s, flapper girls wore short dresses. When the Great Depression affected America’s economy in severe ways, skirt lengths became longer and more practical. The pendulum swing does not just affect fashion, but it also affects other parts of culture, like the media. During the Great Depression, Hollywood films promoted traditional values, optimism, and national unity to maintain social order and the adoption of the Hays Code in 1930, which was a self-imposed guideline that Hollywood had to follow to regulate the moral content that the industry produced. One of the regulations in the code was the prohibition of positive portrayals of LGBTQIA+ characters, which led to either complete erasure or queer coding of villains, creating long-lasting negative stereotypes of queer people.

Figure 3: Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-street-crowd-freedom-6257776/

Project 2025 is a document produced by the Heritage Foundation, which includes all the policy plans for future Republican administrations. This document includes policies to stop federal funds from being used for abortion and ban abortions in some states, thoroughly enforce immigration laws, and although not explicitly mentioned in the document, it includes the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, the banning of access to gender-affirming care for trans people, and the 900-page list goes on. The Right was very successful in their campaigning strategy, utilising social media and influencer culture to support their initiatives to reach a younger audience. Influencers like Joe Rogan invite right-wing figures like J.D. Vance and Trump and provide a platform for conservative messaging. MAGA was also promoted by LGBTQIA+ people who have renounced their queer identities to promote conservative, Christian ideals. Books like Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry have grown in popularity among young queer people, promoting conversion therapy and framing being queer as something to fix about one’s identity.

Figure 4: Media (2020). Gay Girl, Good God With Jackie Hill Perry - Part 1 - Christian Research Institute. [online] Christian Research Institute. Available at: https://bit.ly/4mb2bhy [Accessed 29 Jul. 20]

Unfortunately, whatever happens in America affects the rest of the world. From beauty trends like “Clean Girl” and “Old Money”, which promote traditional gender conformity and classism, to famous American social media influencers who promote conservatism, Hollywood movies and shows that dominate our screens and feed us particular narratives, and trade tariffs that affect the global market and increase inflation. The global influence and impact that the United States has not just on our economy but also on our politics, society, and personal ideologies is undeniable. It is important to be aware of these influences so we do not see ourselves falling into this pattern of regression.

Edited by: Linda Libala