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| This popular parenting influencer is a Trump donor. What should followers do about it? For much of 2020, content creators and their followers have been grappling with a hard question: How do we best deal with politics and current events on Instagram? On Inauguration Day, this debate came to a head in a rather unexpected way in the form of a fierce debate over the politics of an incredibly popular baby sleep expert.
Instagram / @takingcarababies Her methods have won her a ton of devotees. Although Cara launched her company before her Instagram account, her online presence has made her a household name among parents. Her videos and posts are friendly, funny, and inviting. She mixes in the personality of an influencer with easily accessible tips. Instagram / @takingcarababies Cara has also benefited from collaborating with other big, trendy Instagram parenting accounts, notably @biglittlefeelings, which helps parents deal with tantrums and toddler behavioral issues, and @feedinglittles, which is run by experts in infant and toddler nutrition.
Another fact about Cara: She has financially supported Donald Trump. According to Federal Election Commission records, she has consistently donated to the former president. Cara, who listed her business on her donations, gave to his campaign and a pro-Trump super PAC 36 times from December 2016 to December 2019.
I asked a spokesperson for Taking Cara Babies about Cara’s donations to Trump, and they gave me the following statement from her: “Taking Cara Babies is about helping babies get sleep and parents reclaiming the joy of parenthood that’s often lost due to sleep deprivation. Between 2016 and 2019, I made a series of donations (totaling $1,078) to the Trump campaign. As with many citizens, there were aspects of the Trump Administration that I agreed with and some that I disagreed with. I will continue to serve all parents by empowering them with the tools they need to help their babies sleep”
The FEC records were always publicly available, but no one really knew Cara’s political affiliations before screenshots of her donations began to make the rounds on social media Tuesday night. I first saw the screenshots on Twitter, but they also exploded onto Instagram via creators like Jamie Grayson.
Influencers who shared the screenshots said they did so because parents had the right to know where the money spent on Cara’s programs is going. Jamie wrote on Instagram, “You cannot take cara babies if the person you’re supporting puts them in cages. … We live in a time where our money is used to support our values.”
Jamie told me people can choose to support who they want to on Instagram as well.
“Every time I get political on my page I tell people to go follow other pages if they do not agree with me. It’s that easy,” he said. Instagram / @thejamiegrayson Cara soon found some allies in right-wing Instagram personalities, who painted her as the victim of woke culture run amok. Allie Beth Stuckey, a Christian author and podcaster who has appeared on Fox News and contributed to the Blaze, decried the backlash against Cara as “cancel culture,” calling Jamie and others judgmental hypocrites. She told me she decided to write about it because she often comments on instances of conservatives “getting canceled for who they voted for.” Bethany Beal, one half of Christian YouTube duo Girl Defined, called the situation “insane” and urged her fans to go follow Cara as a show of support, she didn’t return my request for comment.
This news blew up all the parenting corners of every social media platform, and the debate was hot and emotional. When I posted about it on my Instagram grid, I received a ton of comments. Several women wrote that they could no longer in good conscience financially support Cara. Others said they didn’t think Cara’s support of the former president should matter, as she had never discussed her politics on her page, and baby sleep tips are apolitical. Some felt hopelessly conflicted.
Everyone was also curious what Cara’s IG collaborators had to say about it all, and they delivered, although neither explicitly mentioned Cara by name.
@BigLittleFeelings released a long statement on its Instagram story on Wednesday, writing that it decided to unfollow the "high profile influencer" being discussed over her political beliefs. (The account didn’t return a request for comment, but did unfollow @takingcarababies.) The women behind the account, Deena Margolin and Kristin Gallant, wrote that they were “disheartened by the news” and do not stand behind “these donations.”
“If you see something in your feed that is misaligned with your values, create your feed with what you feel is best,” they wrote. “For us that meant unfollowing.”
In a follow-up Instagram story on Thursday, they wrote that their position is not to condone “cancel culture” or “harassment” of people with different views. Instagram / @biglittlefeelings In a follow-up Instagram story on Thursday, they wrote that their position is not to condone “cancel culture” or “harassment” of people with different views.
Judy Delaware and Megan McNamee, the duo behind @feedinglittles, posted on their Instagram story around the same time. (They also didn’t return a request for comment.) They said the account in question has helped them “significantly both personally and professionally” and reiterated that they believe in Black Lives Matter, equality of all people, and anti-racism. But they didn’t go as far as Deena and Kristin.
Cara’s donations are part of a public record, and her clients have the right to decide whether they want to support her company based on the information. But why have the political donations from a nonpolitical Instagram account caused this controversy? I think this is a microcosm of what many people are experiencing in their personal lives across the country.
Nearly half of America voted for Trump, and our country is deeply, deeply divided. Most of us know someone who fiercely believes the opposite of what we do. In particular, many people are struggling with how best to deal with the fact that the owner of a business they support, a friend, or a family member voted for someone they fundamentally disagree with on extremely important issues.
Amanda Gorman gained over 2 million IG followers after reading her poem at the inauguration because her work spoke for itself The influencer economy I know is one of questionable hacks for marketing and growth, like the Instagram loop giveaway. Most influencers I follow post tirelessly and strategically to battle for people’s attention and follows. It’s the mantra of this newsletter!
However, I was graciously reminded this week that a person can gain mass popularity by simply being talented and heartfelt.
On Wednesday, after Amanda Gorman, the first national youth poet laureate, delivered her powerful poem about a country in transition at Biden’s inauguration, people praised her on social media. She gained over 2 million followers on Instagram in a day. Her poem, which you can read in full, was not only moving, but it cut through the consciousness of a country in mourning and in disrepair.
“Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished / We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president / Only to find herself reciting for one.”
Gorman, who’s the youngest person at 22 to perform a poem at a presidential inauguration, read with poise and confidence. Immediately across Twitter and Instagram and private chats, I saw people react: They were in awe, they googled her, and they hit “follow” on her Twitter and Instagram accounts.
It was incredible to watch how a five-minute appearance — albeit on one of the biggest national stages — viscerally captivated people. And for poetry — an art form that does not often get mainstream attention!
Gorman herself was also shocked. In her Instagram stories later that day, she said she was having trouble accessing her account and posting anything because of the influx of followers and attention it was getting.
“This is not a game. This is not a joke. I just looked up and had a million followers,” she said. Instagram / @amandascgorman During a time when the influencer space is becoming more standard and professional — which, don’t get me wrong, is great — it’s especially refreshing to be reminded that fans are often more compelled by ideas and thoughts as opposed to what they see. An interesting or aspirational photo of someone or their family or their favorite activity is nice, and it serves its unique purpose — but it only runs so deep. Gorman has not only helped people put words to their emotions, but she is stirring new kinds of conversations in a way that poetry does so well.
I reached out to Gorman, which is a long shot considering her fandom right now. But maybe one day we can talk about how poets can become successful influencers without compromising their art, and how social media can be a place of nurturing emotion and ideas as opposed to a gallery of stunts.
I was mostly impressed and happy that a personality was able to lead with their work and words first. She didn’t need to do big promotions or force herself into the spotlight; in fact, first lady Jill Biden reportedly first saw Gorman read one of her poems at the Library of Congress and told the inauguration committee to reach out to her. Gorman writes beautifully and succinctly, and the attention she got for it followed.
We really love to see it.
Until next time, Tanya Want more? Here are other stories we were following this week. An American influencer who promoted the sale of her e-book about moving to Bali during the pandemic is now being deported. Kristen Gray got into trouble with Indonesian authorities after promoting her guide to moving to Bali as a foreigner.
Here’s how TikTok handled the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. As the president and vice president were sworn in, TikTok did its thing. Let's take a look. P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide.) 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Tanya Chen, Stephanie McNeal, and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here. Show privacy notice and cookie policy.
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