Why a MAGA influencer turned on Trump

Taylor Lorenz • January 31, 2025

Taylor Lorenz

About

Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz explores internet culture, social media trends, Silicon Valley news, technology, influencers and the creator economy's impact on culture, politics, business, and more. Author of the bestselling book Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet, host of Power User podcast, and founder of the tech and online culture newsletter User Magazine.

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Video Description

Clarkson Lawson was a prominent MAGA influencer on TikTok who amassed over 31 million likes on his videos. He built a platform as an outspoken Gen Z conservative making pro-Trump content. But in the months leading up to the election, something changed. Despite building a massive audience on pro-Trump messaging, he had a change of heart and voted for Kamala Harris. Lawson announced his political pivot in a video titled "Why I left MAGA." I sat down with Clarkson to talk about the behind-the-scenes reality of being a right-wing content creator, the industry forces that keep influencers tethered to right wing politics, what ultimately made him change his mind about Trump, how his audience and other influencers reacted, and how he plans to evolve his platform and rebrand with his new political ideology.