What Evangelical Influencers Love About this Inauguration

What Evangelical Influencers Love About this Inauguration January 20, 2025

It’s the 20th of January and there is a lot going on today in Washington, DC.

No doubt readers of The Anxious Bench are already receiving notifications about Trump’s inaugural executive actions, like instituting a federal two-gender policy and ending birth right citizenship. As with his first-term efforts to overturn Roe, these new policy-level initiatives will do something to address evangelicals’ anxiety about the place of the American family (and conservative gender politics) in public life and policy.  We can well think of these initiatives as the hard edge of evangelicals’ political mandate for Trump.

But we would be missing half the story if we didn’t see a softer side to this resurrection of family-centered politics. Over on instagram, a bevy of women influencers are celebrating in Inauguration by admiring the Trumps and the Vances, especially Usha and Melania. This celebration is focused on the glamour these women are bringing to a glittery set of events.

A few examples of this impromptu féte….

For example, over on thegirlnamedblake,  Inauguration fashion is being celebrated the return of the nation itself!

 

JD and Ursha Vance

Blake Guichet describes herself as “a small-town Louisiana wife & mother who gets to show up online in varying aspects & talk about Jesus, politics, culture, mental health, homeschooling, & more.” Her main site has 307k instagram followers.

Blake has been vocally pro-Trump and supportive of many of his policies. In her stories today, Blake celebrated Usha Vance, who “looked beautiful” and JD, who looked “sharpppppp.”

Another of Blake’s slides featured Melania Trump in her navy blue inauguration suit with the words, “We are so back, typed on to Melania’s image.

In a regular post with yet more pictures of both Melania and Usha, Guicchet exclaims, “GIDDY, I TELL YOU. GIDDY. Look at these beautiful humans!

In the comments, actress and outspoken evangelical Candace Cameron Bure exclaims, “I am so here for the smarts and the fashion!” Bure has 5.7 million instagram followers.(Bure’s own post highlights an affectionate kiss between President Trump and Melania, while the First Lady appears to hold two bibles.)

Like Bure, Guichet constantly weaves her faith into her social media posts, often producing a post about Trump followed by another which hones in on the meaning of a bible verse. Guichet’s content comprehensively models an attractive alignment between being a wife, a mother, a conservative, a Trump voter, and a passionate Christian- all at once.

 

 

Soft Powers Unite

 

 

 

 

@paulamichellewhite

Over on Ivanka Trump’s page, the First Daughter shows off an Oscar de la Renta column dress. In the comments, televangelist and Trump surrogate Paula White-Cain coos her approval via three heart emojis.

 

Lots of social media commentary today has celebrated the Trump family, in a manner reminiscent of admiration for England’s royals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink for the Inauguration

 

 

 

@jennyldonnelly
Noted Apostle Jenny Donnelly (whose Telestai Ministries took in $1.9 million in 2023) uploaded fuzzy images of herself in a pink, feathery confection for the Inauguration. She made a point of commenting on her evening look; she also gave her followers a behind-the-scences view of the set up for the “Christian Gala.”

Christian Gala

 

@telloandrose
Super popular ( at 620K followers!) instagram influencer Hillary Muscatello’s bio reads:

Classic American Living in Missouri
Jesus above all. 1 Tim 1:16

Like Bure and Guichet, Muscatello seemlessly blends her republican politics with her home decor, fashion posts, and commentary about her faith:

“I know that God has directed my path because, as I look at all the seemingly random opportunities I had through blogging and work, they have all helped me get to where I am today.”

Today, Muscatello enthused about Melania Trump’s navy and white suit combo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This celebration will go on for days; images of outfits will be circulated and recirculated. Some attendees of the inauguration will soon share reels of their efforts to get ready, listing the hair and makeup artists who helped them. Enthusiastic evangelical social reception of this event provides an interesting rejoinder to two ideas: first, that Trump supporters are driven by economic anxiety and resentment. It’s hard to think so, given their ready celebration of haute couture. Second, pundits are often stumped by women who vote for Trump. Remember the Harris ad that suggested women could vote for Harris without their husbands’ knowing? That ad was delusional. This social media party shows they voted for Trump because they wanted him to win.

I do think this celebration of the beauty and glamour of Republican women (not just Melania and Usha, but also Ivanka and Tulsi) reveals something about the motives of women voters for Trump– something less about economic anxiety and more about status anxiety. If evangelical women have been anxious about their status as wives and mothers in the US, the glamour of these Inaugural women bespeaks their importance and desirability.

They are so back.

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