Your Favorite Influencer is Suddenly Posting About ICE
Something dramatic’s shifting online right now.
The semi-charmed reality of hyper-normalization that many creators and influencers were living in may finally be coming to an end.
Polling has made this clear: approval for ICE and Trump are slipping fast. While political insiders and mainstream media may be moved more by data, society as a whole is moved by culture.
Polls don’t give permission to speak out, but people with influence do
After the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota, and the protests that followed, people have stopped treating this like another bad news cycle and started speaking out like something fundamental had finally been exposed.
The moment where the distance between “what we’re told is happening” and “what we see is actually happening” is truly collapsing.
This time, it isn’t just the political creators, independent journalists, or your friend who just “always post about this stuff.” This horrible act by the administration is causing everyone from the mid-sized Midwest mommy bloggers to influential powerhouses like Alix Earle and creators from across the spectrum of the entire internet to all agree that this is the red line for the culture.
This really matters because the veil between the dual states, the one where life seems normal for some, and the other where the power of the government feels limitless, has finally been lifted for all to see.
The post deemed safe enough to share
What’s happening in Minnesota is the final straw for those who have stayed silent this past year or more likely, this past decade, and this post gave them the chance to finally say “I can’t stay quiet anymore, even if it hurts my bottom line”. It was deemed by the creator economy (or their managers) that this was THE ONE to post to appease your audiences, or safe enough to dip your toe into political content. It’s a good post; it shares resources about how to help folks in Minnesota. It gives tangible action steps to take, so it feels better than just talking about feelings.
As with all things online, this inherently has layers. Creators started and stopped by sharing that post in their story. Alix Earle is a great example – she shared this right in the middle of posting photos of herself at Paris Couture Week. But others took it further.
Some are posting that their family members are immigrants, some are talking about how this went against their faith, and some are even going as far as saying Fuck ICE, or Fuck Trump.
And still others pushed further, beyond outrage or resources, and said, “if you supported Trump or ICE, unfollow me” or “you’re a shit person if you voted for this”
That reaction makes sense when you’re getting hit from all sides at once. Creators are being told to speak up faster and louder, while also being scolded with “I liked you better when you weren’t political” or “why are you still posting shopping links?” Creators are expected to be blank vessels for our entertainment, not fully actualized humans, and this is where parasocial relationships start to break down on both sides.
But telling one another to stop having feelings—just unfollow me— isn’t helpful. Calling people bad or telling them to fuck off from the conversation entirely doesn’t actually build understanding; it just puts up walls where we need bridges.
Propaganda is a hell of a psychological tool, and a lot of people are just trying to find some off-ramp out of the confusion and fear that a lot of media feeds them. The backlash to Pretti’s killing isn’t just political — it was emotional, moral, and human. And for some, demanding purity online was a way to express that intensity.
Being part of Unfortunately Not a Soundbath has taught that people can change their minds. A lot of people have strong convictions, but loosely held, and the right uses this to help hold favor when culture shifts. Perspectives aren’t monoliths. And above all, connection is greater than division, and something the left should do better is opening our big tent when people want to come in. It’s much more helpful to say “glad you could make it” instead of “what took you so long?”
This is what community actually looks like
This moment isn’t just about Minnesota.
It is about a lot of people realizing, all at once, that the gap between the story we’re being told about power and the reality of how it operates has gotten too wide to ignore. And once you really, truly see that, you start reaching for something else; each other.
When the veil lifts, the instinct isn’t just outrage, but also connection. The feeling of not being alone in our thoughts, feelings, or difficult questions.
This past weekend showed us what community can look like in real time, both online and off. Not everyone agreed on language or tactics. Not everyone showed up in the same way. But they showed up together, as neighbors, followers, lurkers all alike.
That matters.
If we want to get through what’s coming, politically, culturally, emotionally, astrologically, we need to purposefully build community. We need spaces where people can ask questions without being shamed or canceled, and process what’s happening without being told they’re doing it all wrong. They need a safe space to change their mind and grow.
We talk all the time about wanting a village, but villages don’t just appear. They’re made of villagers. And villagers stay even when it’s uncomfortable, listen instead of unfollow, and choose curiosity.
And the mid-size Midwest mommy bloggers are right about that part: everyone does want a village. But in this moment, we all have to be villagers.
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