Donald Trump’s presidency has seen a new type of conservative seize the spotlight — and not just on Capitol Hill.
Since 2016, pro-Trump artists and performers have become major cultural forces with talent, social media savvy and outlandish displays of hyper-patriotism.
Here are five MAGA celebrities who, like their hero in the White House, cannot be ignored.
1. MAGA Hulk, 65,200 Instagram followers
Stephen Davis was just another heavily-muscled, U.S.A.-loving guy until the coronavirus lockdown hit California in May.
That’s when he went hulk mode in a viral video, calling for the Democrats to reopen the state and restore his freedoms.
Donald Trump Jr. gave Davis a shout-out on Facebook at the time, saying, “I feel safer knowing MAGA HULK is out there to protect us.”
When he’s not lifting or hulking-out against tyranny, Davis, 35, works as a bodyguard and moonlights as a Christian rapper in Lucerne, northern California.
2. Lady Maga, 7,800 Instagram followers
Drag and conservative politics aren’t traditional bedfellows, but the drag queen known as Lady MAGA isn’t afraid to try new things.
“I had one heck of a time coming out of the closet as gay, then coming out as a Drag Queen. Those were very difficult times for me,” she said on her website. “But coming out as a Conservative has been the scariest of all.”
Lady MAGA — the alter ego of Ryan Hansen of Kaysville, Utah — has used her assets to support conservative politics and activism both online and in a fabulous appearance at the 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference.
3. Bryson Gray, 20,100 YouTube subscribers
Bryson Gray, aka KingVodka, aka B.Surius, isn’t the most famous rapper to wear a MAGA hat — but his is probably the biggest.
Gray, 29, of Greensboro, North Carolina, went viral last September for an interview he gave at a Trump rally in Fayetteville while wearing his signature giant red foam MAGA hat.
- He defended his right to support Trump while black and said, “They told me I shouldn’t wear the MAGA hat, so I bought the biggest MAGA hat.”
- The president shared the clip on Instagram the next day, saying: “Thank you, Bryson!”
A former lefty whose grandma had been a Black Panther, Gray told The New Yorker in December he had been won over in 2016 by Trump’s rap-battle approach to campaigning.
So far in 2020, Gray has released two Trump-themed albums.
- As of press time, “Maga Szn” was the No. 1 best-selling rap album on Amazon, and “Maga Ain’t Got No Color” was No. 3.
4. The USA Freedom Kids, 47,000 Facebook followers
A trio of preteen girls stunned America when they performed a ruthless MAGA song-and-dance on stage at a January 2016 Trump campaign rally in Pensacola, Florida.
Wearing red, white and blue cheerleader costumes, the USA Freedom Kids cheerily condemned political “cowardice” and called for the “enemies of freedom” to “face the music.”
- “President Donald Trump knows how to make America great: Deal from strength or get crushed every time,” they sang.
- Footage of the performance has been viewed millions of times online.
Jeff Popick, 54, a real estate developer in Marco Island, Florida, manages the group, which comprises his daughter, Alexis, along with bandmates Izzy and Bianca.
Emulating their litigious president, the USA Freedom kids sued the Trump campaign in August 2016 for alleged breach of contract.
- They dropped the lawsuit in December 2020, after Trump became president.
5. Joy Villa, 210,000 Twitter followers
Singer Joy Villa has achieved near-legendary status on the right after storming the Grammy Awards in glamorous pro-Trump and pro-life dresses four years running.
Last July, she attended the “Presidential Social Media Summit” at the White House in a bespoke gown that she said Trump appreciated.
An erstwhile “Bernie bro,” Villa, a 35-year-old Los Angeles resident, went full MAGA during the 2016 election and never looked back.
- She’s been a proud member of Donald Trump’s Campaign Advisory Board since September 2017.
At the 2020 Grammys in January, Villa’s wardrobe was already looking ahead to the president’s reelection in November.
- Her flag-themed ensemble said “TRUMP 2020” on the front, and on the back, “IMPEACHED AND RE-ELECTED.”
