Arizona State University, long known as one of America&#8217;s biggest party schools, is now offering a bachelor&#8217;s degree for aspiring influencers. 
The university&#8217;s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication recently unveiled a Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation, a program designed to prepare students to &#8220;become an influencer and strategic storyteller who thrives in the rapidly evolving creator economy.&#8221;
According to the university, the program is aimed at students who &#8220;dream of monetizing&#8221; their social media presence. Courses include How To Become An Influencer, On-Camera Presence, Podcasting, Social Media Foundations, The Digital Audience, and Interpersonal Influence.
ASU says the degree goes beyond creating social media posts.
Students will study multimedia production, audience analytics, personal branding, social media strategy, and integrated communications while participating in internships, brand partnerships, and content creation trips in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and abroad.
Jessica Pucci, senior associate dean at the Cronkite School, <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/21/learn-how-be-an-influencer-with-asus-content-creation-major/">said</a> students will analyze performance metrics across multiple platforms, test different content strategies, and use data to grow their audiences.
Their senior capstone project requires students to spend an entire semester creating content on a platform such as TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube while demonstrating measurable audience growth. 
&#8220;They will have a platform of their choice with real content and real followers and a real audience behind them,&#8221; Pucci said. 
University officials say the program reflects the rapid growth of the creator economy, which Goldman Sachs <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027">projects</a> could reach nearly $480 billion by 2027. 
Supporters say the coursework teaches practical skills that many successful creators eventually have to learn through trial and error.
But the announcement has also drawn plenty of skepticism <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/24/lifestyle/arizona-state-university-now-offers-a-content-creation-major/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">online</a>, with critics questioning whether students need a four-year degree to learn skills many internet personalities developed on their own.
Arizona influencer Anna Elizabeth, who also works as a medical assistant, said she wishes the program had existed when she began building her online audience. 
&#8220;How do I get brands to notice me?&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a little bit difficult to understand that portion if you haven&#8217;t done it for a long time.&#8221;
Even some faculty members questioned whether the degree justifies its cost. ASU philosophy professor Owen Anderson asked on <a href="https://x.com/dr_owenanderson/status/2080107269468066231">X</a> whether the major would satisfy new federal accountability standards requiring degree programs to improve graduates&#8217; earning potential compared to workers without a college education.
Arizona State is not the first university to embrace the influencer economy. Syracuse University recently established a Center for the Creator Economy, while Graceland University and Arizona&#8217;s Grand Canyon University offer degree programs focused on digital content and social media.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 14 Washington at Arizona State

Infamous Party School Launches Hilarious New Major

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In a cold, sterile room, officials at two long tables, separated by a wide divide, sat, staring. On one end, Team USA was represented by the Biden administration. On the other end, Team China. As U.S. officials slowly rolled out each scripted word, they informed the People’s Republic of China of their modern-day human rights abuses. <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/03/26/china-defends-itself-on-human-rights-by-pointing-to-history-of-slavery-in-us/">Then came China’s turn</a>. Staring down the barrel of the divide, right into the eyes of America’s top diplomat, the Chinese leader spat out, unscripted, that the U.S. no longer spoke from a position of strength; it had no authority to lecture on human rights abuses.
They painted the picture of America’s human rights abuses as “deep-seated … they did not just emerge over the past four years, such as Black Lives Matter.” On the issue of forced labor, Chinese officials rebuked the U.S., saying it had no moral authority to judge. They then proceeded to show pictures of their machine cotton production versus America’s historical production through slavery.
Even through a screen, you could feel the air sucked out of the room.
And that’s when I realized, as a public relations professional, China was officially on track to win the PR war. Just a few short years later, it looks like they’ve done just that.
This month, the Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/07/15/people-in-many-countries-now-view-china-more-positively-than-the-u-s/">released a blockbuster report</a> showing that more nations had a favorable view of China than the U.S. The data also pointed to an indisputable trend: most countries still believe America respects its citizens’ freedom more than China does, but that gap is rapidly shrinking. Across the board, global sentiment toward China trended up. Pakistan topped as China’s biggest fan. But most telling, the countries with the highest regard for the U.S. were those in China’s crosshairs: Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and, most interestingly, India.
I can attest to this. As someone who grew up in Taiwan, the closer you are geographically to China, the more acutely aware you are of its striking capabilities. Literally. The <a href="https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol52/iss3/2/">mid-90s Chinese missile attacks on Taiwan</a> are seared in my mind, as my school operated daily air raid simulations. The people who live closest to China’s power often have the least romanticized view of it.
But lest you think this positive shift is just a global phenomenon, it’s not. We’re seeing the same trend here in America.
Pew also noted <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/14/americans-views-of-china-have-grown-somewhat-more-positive-in-recent-years/">Americans are steadily warming to China.</a> Today, over a quarter of Americans have a positive view of China, doubling over the last three years. Just like the global data, 2023 seems to be a pivotal year, with the graphs showing, pretty much across the board, most countries softening their views on the PRC. Why is that? I’m not sure anyone knows for sure. But as a PR professional, I’m convinced it is in part due to China’s refreshed messaging.
Every PR practitioner knows that two of the biggest PR metrics are message pull-through and audience sentiment. China appears to be excelling at both. The ultimate victory isn’t when someone repeats a paid message but when they repeat it organically, in their own words, believing it’s their own conclusion. Scroll through TikTok, and you’ll see videos of young influencers comparing the human rights abuses of America vs. China, debating who is more “imperialistic.”
Look at top streamer and socialist political commentator Hasan Piker. His recent trip to China was viewed millions of times as he stood in Tiananmen Square, not mentioning the atrocities but rather holding a Chinese flag, stating he had <a href="https://thehill.com/video/hasan-piker-blasted-for-china-livestream-i-dont-have-any-patriotism-for-america/11256155/">“no patriotism in his heart for America.”</a> Later, he showed reverence for former communist dictator Mao Zedong by claiming he would never criticize him. In an interview with a <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3343845/hasan-piker-talks-about-his-controversial-china-trip-and-thinking-chinese-thoughts">Chinese news outlet</a>, Piker said that China&#8217;s social contract outperforms America&#8217;s, emphasizing the country’s perceived achievements.
When it comes to positive sentiment, it’s not just Piker; we can also look at social media to reflect the patterns found in the Pew data. Social media accounts share “Chinamaxxing” content: A social trend where Gen Z romanticizes the communist nation and adopts Chinese aesthetics. For years, experts <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/5432077-tiktok-china-influence-us/">recognized the significant impact</a> China’s use of TikTok can have on its 170 million U.S. users. Even <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/19/the-guardian-view-on-perceptions-of-superpowers-the-world-isnt-chinamaxxing-its-america-avoidant">The Guardian points out</a>, “China is increasingly investing in overseas influence operations, including working with or amplifying local social media content creators.” It appears that the CCP understands a critical point of PR sentiment: You don’t have to win complete adoration; sometimes reducing opposition is victory enough.
I see this in my personal interactions as well. Because I grew up in Taiwan, many people share their thoughts with me about China. And what I’ve heard is a definite softening on <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/country/china">China’s human rights abuses</a>. “They just want to be left alone” or “They only want to operate in their sphere.” They paint China as some geopolitical Greta Garbo, when that’s just not the case.
It’s why Chinese President Xi Jinping recently described U.S.-China relations through the framework of the <a href="https://gsas.harvard.edu/news/discussing-thucydides-trap">Thucydides Trap</a>, wishcasting his nation to surpass the U.S. as the global superpower. It’s why <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1630978524684413">U.S. farmers are alarmed at American farmland being sold</a>. Even Hollywood can’t produce some American movies without agreeing to zero mentions of the <a href="https://www.heritage.org/china/heritage-explains/how-china-taking-control-hollywood">“Three Ts”</a>: Taiwan, Tibet, or Tiananmen Square.
China doesn’t need to convince Americans that it’s good. It just needs to convince us we’re hypocritical. Make us feel its ambitions are harmless. The latest Pew data confirms China’s global sentiment is improving, while its talking points are increasingly repeated by Americans themselves. By the two measures I know best, sentiment and message pull-through, the country appears to be gaining. Regrettably, China has been waging the PR war for years — and it appears to be winning.
***
Emily Osment Davis is a writer and communicator with a background in non-profits and politics and a not-so-secret love of celebrity gossip. She covers the space where Hollywood meets D.C. — because sometimes the two aren’t so different. You may have read her work in Newsweek, USA Today, Fox News and more.

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Is China Winning The PR War?

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On Thursday, July 16, 2026, President Donald Trump accused the People’s Republic of China of conspiring to undermine his presidency. Appearing before the nation from the White House, Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HmhOFfJr5ro">shared</a> intelligence indicating that Beijing “engaged in…election-related activities to undermine my first administration and our 2020 campaign.” According to the president, Beijing “fought like hell” to head off a second term and “make him resign or prevent his reelection.”
The next day, administration officials <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/peter-navarro-speaks-to-white-house-reporters-about-election-security/682908">said</a>, inexplicably, that Trump’s speech about Beijing’s election influence was “not a story about China.” Instead, Peter Navarro claimed, the true villains were domestic “nefarious actors” who wanted to swing the election away from Trump. Later on that day, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/katiadoyl/status/2078171530257686641?s=61">confirmed</a> that Chairman Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to the White House remained on track. Apparently the punishment for meddling in American democracy is pageantry and hospitality.
Friday evening, Reuters reported new <a href="https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1453136/dl">guidance</a> from the Department of Justice: TikTok was now safe to download on government devices. No matter that the CCP still appears to control the app’s all-important <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-lawmaker-says-licensing-deal-tiktok-algorithm-would-raise-serious-concerns-2025-10-16/">algorithm</a>, or that Beijing <a href="https://www.hudson.org/technology/stop-giving-beijing-advantage-through-tiktok-michael-sobolik">leveraged</a> that control last year to turn the American people against Trump’s trade war with China. Or, most alarmingly, that a National Intelligence Council <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NICM-Declassified-Cyber-Operations-Enabling-Expansive-Digital-Authoritarianism-20200407--2022.pdf">assessment</a> from 2020 identified TikTok as a primary vector of CCP election interference in the United States. With its hand on the app’s algorithm, the CCP can still manipulate TikTok’s content and shape U.S. public opinion.
If President Trump wants to prevent China, Russia, or any foreign adversaries from meddling in U.S. elections, he needs to address these contradictions immediately. As it stands now, his administration is unwittingly doing Beijing’s work for it.
Consider this warning from an NIC <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NICM-Declassified-Cyber-Operations-Enabling-Expansive-Digital-Authoritarianism-20200407--2022.pdf">assessment</a> on April 7, 2020. China uses a variety of means, including TikTok, “to extend the coercive reach of their ideological enforcement and political control efforts beyond their borders. In some cases, they are impinging on Western democracies’ sovereignty and interests to enhance their domestic stability.” Beijing targets American democracy because its autocracy is weak. The CCP, like most authoritarian regimes, is parasitic. It has no internal source of legitimacy, and can only survive on the strength of others. Xi sought to destabilize Trump not primarily to weaken an American president, but chiefly to make himself strong.
It was bad enough that Navarro misidentified the antagonist in this whole episode. This story is clearly about China. But understanding the CCP’s motive is even more important: it’s less about preferring Trump or Biden, and more about sowing doubt in U.S. elections. Missing that theme will invite further meddling.
These assessments, and China’s own actions, give Trump considerable leverage. Xi clearly has his own political challenges at home, based on the persistent high-profile <a href="https://thedispatch.com/article/xi-jinping-china-military-purge/">purges</a> at the party’s highest levels. As much as Trump wants high-level meetings with Xi for trade negotiations, Xi may need these meetings even more for his own domestic standing. By inviting Xi to Washington in September and letting China off without any punishment or deterrent action, Trump will telegraph considerable weakness.
There is one thing that Trump could do immediately to alleviate these concerns, buttress U.S. election integrity, and regain the upper hand against Xi: revisit his TikTok negotiation. The app is the CCP’s most potent weapon of psychological warfare against Americans, and a powerful tool to turn us against each other. Congress moved as quickly as it did in 2024 to separate TikTok from its Chinese parent company ByteDance because of compelling evidence that the app was directly responsible for spikes in antisemitism, just months after Hamas’ barbaric attacks against Israel on October 7th. The powerful algorithm behind that operation still rests under CCP control.
It isn’t weakness to revisit a bad decision. Letting it stand, and leaving Americans vulnerable to threats, is weakness. Should the day come when China leverages TikTok in elections, we will look back on this moment as a lost opportunity. Thankfully, the president has time to fix this problem. He has accused Xi of trying to ruin his presidency. Will he turn around and receive Xi at the White House in September? Will he allow the CCP to retain control of TikTok’s algorithm? More than Trump’s legacy rides on the answer to these questions. The resiliency of America’s democracy depends on them.
***
Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Trump Truth Social Post About TikTok Shown On Smartphone With Chinese And U.S. Flags In Background

TikTok Is The CCP’s Most Potent Weapon Of Psychological Warfare. Will Trump Stop It?

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Peter Navarro

Trump Administration

A new investigation has identified significant levels of a toxic metal known to cause cancer in inexpensive &#8220;silver&#8221; jewelry available on Amazon and TikTok.
Testing conducted as part of The Sunday Times <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/jewellery-carcinogen-amazon-tiktok-zrl6tcmxf">investigation</a> revealed that several pieces exceeded legal limits in the U.K., where cadmium content in jewelry is capped at 0.01%. One ring purchased on Amazon, listed as “Women’s 925 Sterling Silver Simple Open Adjustable Rings” from the brand Littleduckling and priced at approximately $4, contained just over 92% cadmium — more than 9,000 times the U.K. maximum allowance. A charm bracelet from TikTok seller Perform Pearls registered nearly 3,300 times the permitted level.
Cadmium, a silvery-white toxic metal commonly used in rechargeable batteries and metal coatings, is known to cause cancer and poses risks to multiple organs with prolonged exposure.
The United States lacks a comprehensive nationwide regulation governing cadmium in adult jewelry. Individual states have enacted their own restrictions, primarily focused on children&#8217;s products. California prohibits the manufacture or sale of children&#8217;s jewelry with more than 300 parts per million (0.03%) of cadmium by weight.
Illinois, under the Cadmium-Safe Kids Act, bans children&#8217;s jewelry containing more than 75 ppm of cadmium in any paint, surface coating, or material that comes into contact with skin. Washington state sets a 40 ppm limit for children&#8217;s products and mandates reporting of high-concern chemicals.
Cadmium exposure primarily occurs through ingestion rather than skin absorption. The CDC estimates that only about 0.5% is absorbed dermally. Risks increase when individuals handle the jewelry and then touch their mouth or food. 
The metal can also enter the environment through burning coal, household waste, and industrial processes. While low levels occur naturally in some foods such as shellfish, additional sources of exposure include cigarette smoke and proximity to industrial facilities.
Health effects associated with cadmium poisoning include kidney damage, osteoporosis, liver damage, lung <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cadmium">cancer</a>, and other respiratory problems. Experts describe it as one of the most potent toxic metals. 
Christer Hogstrand, professor of molecular ecotoxicology at King’s College London, stated that cadmium is more dangerous than mercury in terms of overall toxicity and advised minimizing any exposure. Earrings present particular concern if inserted into pierced or damaged skin.
Previous examinations have documented similar issues. In 2018, testing by the Center for Environmental Health found jewelry at Ross and Nordstrom Rack containing at least 40% cadmium, with most samples exceeding 90%. This year, the U.K.’s Office for Product Safety and Standards intercepted and destroyed Amazon jewelry shipments with excessive cadmium levels at the border.
The Sunday Times investigation did not publish a full list of affected products but highlighted the prevalence of such items on major online platforms. Cadmium’s presence in consumer goods sold as affordable fashion accessories raises questions about supply chain oversight for imported jewelry.
The findings arrive amid larger criticism of heavy metals in everyday products. While direct skin contact is generally considered low risk for short-term exposure, cumulative contact and accidental ingestion remain a concern for public health authorities.

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Fake Silver Jewelry On Amazon And TikTok May Hide A Toxic Secret

Fake Silver, Real Cancer Risk: Cadmium Floods Amazon and TikTok Jewelry

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Progressives think the sudden death of Lindsey Graham is a big joke. Brought to you by the party that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-lefts-new-antihero-just-got-his-own-musical">idolizes</a> Luigi Mangione and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/platners-fall-shows-the-double-standard-of-the-metoo-movement">decided</a> abusing women was bad only when a Democrat got hurt, the latest internet craze is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lefty-ghouls-are-already-celebrating-lindsey-grahams-death">slinging insults</a> and making vulgar wisecracks at the expense of the late South Carolina senator.
Leftist commentator Ana Kasparian <a href="https://x.com/AnaKasparian/status/2076195639097176249">said</a> she was “elated” and “overjoyed” at the news of Graham’s death. One tweet with 129,000 likes <a href="https://x.com/rouseyskyreboot/status/2076188132547166229">exclaims</a>, “Lindsey Graham AND Mitch McConnell in the same year?!” (Sorry to disappoint these brutes, but McConnell is, in fact, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-28-days-of-silence-mitch-mcconnell-offers-proof-of-life-from-hospital">alive</a>).
“Expecting Mitch McConnell but getting Lindsey Graham is like ordering a chocolate chip cookie but getting a snickerdoodle. I’m confused, but not upset,” said someone <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaskHhTlAJh/?img_index=7">else</a>. Other comments with tens of thousands of likes make crass sexual remarks that don’t deserve repeating. 
Another person threw chum to the feeding frenzy: “Ever wake up and quickly realize the internet is going to be funny funny for the next 12 hours[?]”
You know it’s bad when Kamala Harris has one of the better things to say. “I am saddened to learn of the passing of my former colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham,” the former vice president <a href="https://x.com/KamalaHarris/status/2076403983233470605">tweeted</a> on Sunday. “He was full of wit, energy, and charm, and he cared deeply about the Senate and the people of South Carolina.”
Unsurprisingly, however, Harris’s comments are full of leftists complaining that she was too nice. “Really bugs me when politicians give their evil colleagues eulogies like this,” one <a href="https://x.com/79Dillemma/status/2076408111859225046">said</a>. “He was a racist war monger who gave [sic] two sh*ts about Americans.”
Whether or not Harris means it, it’s the thought — that expressing sadness at the death of a political opponent is the right thing to do — that counts. Politics is nothing without phoniness, but this is the kind of performative well-wishing we should support. President Donald Trump rightly received bipartisan criticism for his tweet <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-responds-to-reiner-murder-says-director-was-tortured-and-struggling-with-tds">minimizing</a> the gruesome death of anti-Trump director Rob Reiner. If you have ill-will toward the dead, you might consider keeping it to yourself. 
But wishing violence upon people who hold what the wisher considers to be the &#8220;wrong&#8221; political leanings, usually conservative ones, is now so normal that we barely even register it. Leftists on X are constantly joking about “it” happening and wanting to be ready to enjoy it when “it happens.” What they mean is the death of President Trump, who has already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-has-faced-six-assassination-attempts-after-him-theyre-coming-for-you">survived</a> six assassination attempts. 
The good news is this way of thinking is still abhorrent to normal Americans. YouGov <a href="https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/52960-charlie-kirk-americans-political-violence-poll">polling</a> in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting found “Americans overall are far more likely to say it&#8217;s always or usually unacceptable to be happy about the death of a public figure they oppose, than they are to say this is acceptable (77% vs. 8%).” The group does note a disparity, that “liberal Americans are more likely than conservatives to defend feeling joy about the deaths of political opponents.”
That explains why cracking jokes about Charlie Kirk, specifically about his death, has become popular among internet leftists over the past year. Generation Z is so numb to political violence that the audio of the shooting was <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/why-tiktokers-using-audio-charlie-202303558.html">trending</a> this spring for TikToks about outfit changes and hair transformations. The brutal death of a husband and father became a ploy for engagement so 20-year-olds could literally dance on his metaphorical grave. 
For Republicans who have the misfortune to die for whatever reason, the leftist message is simple. “Live your life in such a way that more than half of Al Gore’s internet doesn’t celebrate when the news of your death breaks at 2:30am,” one person on Threads <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaskHhTlAJh/?img_index=9">said</a>. 
Short of changing your politics so people aren’t happy when you die — something that sounds more apace with Chairman Mao’s China than modern America — there’s only one thing to do. The answer here is the same thing it was during the era of Peak Woke, the thing that eventually helped weaken the tyranny of cancel culture and restore some sanity to the public sphere: Never give in to bullying. Those of us who remain in the land of the living have a responsibility to do what we think is right even in the face of great cruelty.
The leftists fulminating over his death wish they could have half the influence Graham did over his lifetime. Graham himself offers some guidance on how to respond when people have horrible things to say in the face of death. Consider what he said about Trump’s treatment of Graham’s good friend, the late Senator John McCain. 
“It bothers me greatly when the president says things about John McCain,” Graham <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl6zURaAJRY">said</a> in 2018, just days after McCain’s passing. “It pisses me off to no end, and I’ll let the president know it. The way he’s handled the passing of John is just disturbing.”
Speaking well of the dead, or at least not openly mocking them, seems to be outdated etiquette in our post-norms age. But we can&#8217;t let this vicious rhetoric pass without pushback. What once seemed to be common sense is now worth emphasizing: Celebrating the death of your political enemy doesn&#8217;t make you the good guy.

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How The Internet Turns Mourning Into A Ploy For Engagement

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A popular online tarot card reader with nearly one million followers on TikTok has turned to God, leaving behind her top spot in the so-called WitchTok space, deleting all of her past videos and posts, and closing her lucrative Etsy shop.
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Alexandra Ashcroft, who was known online as &#8220;Alex Reads Tarot,&#8221; posted a video last week informing her followers that she is now a Christian. In the video, which has already accumulated millions of views, Ashcroft proclaimed that Jesus has saved her life, and she can no longer read tarot cards or host similar content.
“Over the past nearly a year, my faith has become the most important thing in my life,” Ashcroft said in the video. “Through that journey, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting, questioning, praying, and trying to understand my faith more and where God was starting to lead me. Truthfully, if you’d have told me a couple of years ago that I’d be sitting here making this video, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.&#8221;
“I don’t know exactly what comes next for me, but what I do know is that Jesus Christ has saved my life, and I can no longer ignore that reality,&#8221; she added.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
This is a phenomenal testimony and worth the 10 minutes.
&#8216;Alex Reads Tarot&#8217; was a popular and prominent social media creator in the &#8216;WitchTok space, where she gained a large following by posting daily tarot readings, zodiac updates, and paid spiritual readings.
Then, without… <a href="https://t.co/3iuHzjpOIQ">pic.twitter.com/3iuHzjpOIQ</a>
— Protestia (@Protestia) <a href="https://x.com/Protestia/status/2070680924199489701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
Ashcroft&#8217;s tarot card TikTok account, which had more than 933,000 followers, has been totally scrubbed of past content. The only two posts currently hosted on the account are a video of Ashcroft explaining why she left the lifestyle and another video directing anyone who wants to follow her to her new account. Ashcroft, notably, is starting over with followers on her new account, where her handle is &#8220;@AlexCourageInChrist.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1125571" style="width: 773px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1125571" class="wp-image-1125571 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-10.03.06-AM-763x576.png" alt="" width="763" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-10.03.06-AM-763x576.png 763w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-10.03.06-AM-300x227.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-10.03.06-AM-768x580.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-10.03.06-AM.png 1454w" sizes=" (max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px" />TikTok</div>
Ashcroft said her new account will likely discuss scripture or other Christian themes, but stressed that she is not yet sure where the Lord is leading her.
She also quietly closed her Etsy shop, where she had more than 27,000 sales.
</div>
<div id="attachment_1125487" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1125487" class="wp-image-1125487 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-9.06.58-AM-1024x410.png" alt="" width="1024" height="410" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-9.06.58-AM-1024x410.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-9.06.58-AM-300x120.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-9.06.58-AM-768x308.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-9.06.58-AM-1536x616.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-30-at-9.06.58-AM.png 1552w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: Etsy</div>
Online users have expressed how moved they were by Ashcroft&#8217;s conversion, and fellow Christians have offered many prayers and words of support. However, the young woman has also reportedly lost tens of thousands of followers and received backlash for leaving the space. In a more recent video, Ashcroft said that she does not feel any need to &#8220;convince&#8221; anyone of anything, and that she knows the truth and so does God, and that&#8217;s all that matters.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-major-move-putting-god-back-in-americas-classrooms">The Major Move Putting God Back In America’s Classrooms</a>

Screenshot

Powerful Video: Top ‘WitchTok’ Creator Leaves It All Behind For Jesus

Christianity

Witchcraft

A disturbing new trend on social media celebrates the violent murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Youths are shockingly dancing to a song dubbed the &#8220;Austin Bop&#8221; and mimicking stabbing motions. Metcalf was fatally stabbed by Karmelo Anthony at a track meet in 2025. The trend appears to be racially charged, with some young black people mocking Metcalf, who was white, after Anthony was found guilty of murder.
&#8220;Disgusting new TikTok trend called the &#8216;Austin Bop&#8217; has exploded among young black Karmelo Anthony supporters,&#8221; X user @ImMeme0 posted online, captioning a video of the trend: &#8220;They gleefully dance, with and without knives, while making repeated thrusting and stabbing motions toward the chest in a brazen mockery of a teenage boy’s brutal [murder] to their videos.&#8221;
&#8220;This isn’t edgy content. This is straight-up demonic celebration of violence,&#8221; the account added. &#8220;Thug culture remains one of the most toxic, self-destructive forces rotting the black community from within. It glorifies murder, mocks victims, and turns human tragedy into dance challenges.&#8221;
Lyrics in the song include, &#8220;Austin Bop, knife had blood on the tippity-top.&#8221;
Earlier this month, Anthony, who is black, was convicted of murder for fatally stabbing the teen. According to evidence and testimony presented in the trial, Anthony murdered Metcalf after the teen told him to leave his team&#8217;s track tent and shoved him or put his hand on Anthony&#8217;s shoulder. Despite the racial narrative peddled by the Anthony family, teen witnesses, some of whom were black, said Anthony was in the wrong and described Metcalf as a leader and a &#8220;brother.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
VILE: disgusting new TikTok trend called the “Austin Bop” has exploded among young black Karmelo Anthony supporters. They gleefully dance, with and without knives, while making repeated thrusting and stabbing motions toward the chest in a brazen mockery of a teenage boy’s brutal… <a href="https://t.co/cqTYD122ok">pic.twitter.com/cqTYD122ok</a>
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) <a href="https://x.com/ImMeme0/status/2066889059029434735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Support for the convicted murderer is not isolated to online teens. Last week, Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX) downplayed Metcalf&#8217;s murder, calling the knife used to kill Metcalf a &#8220;small object&#8221; and not a &#8220;deadly weapon.&#8221; She also claimed the Metcalf family doesn&#8217;t understand the “fear and agony” of black women.
“Black women, especially black women who have black male children live in fear and agony every single day … fear and agony that I promise you the Metcalfs probably never spent a day living that way and we’re going to have to have just some real conversations about race in this country,” the Democrat said.
Several other Democrats have deemed the trial unfair, including fellow Texas Rep. Christian Menefee, who said the situation was a &#8220;travesty&#8221; and complained that the minorities on the jury were not black. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jasmine-crockett-explains-why-she-thinks-karmelo-anthony-was-justified?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Jasmine+Crockett+Explains+Why+She+Thinks+Karmelo+Anthony+Was+Justified">Jasmine Crockett Explains Why She Thinks Karmelo Anthony Was Justified</a>

Karmelo Austin

Disturbing New TikTok Trend Celebrates The Murder Of Austin Metcalf

Austin Metcalf

Karmelo Anthony

TikTok Trend

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued TikTok on Monday, accusing the app of violating state law by allowing minors access to inappropriate content and deceiving parents.
<a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/florida-attorney-general-sues-tiktok-violations-state-child-safety-law">The lawsuit</a> claims that TikTok illegally permits children to view dangerous content “while prioritizing user engagement and profits,” and that the app breaches Florida&#8217;s House Bill 3, which became effective January 1, 2025. The <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3">bill</a> is meant to protect minors by requiring social media platforms to prohibit those under 14 from creating new accounts.
But according to the new lawsuit, TikTok is allowing 13-year-olds and younger to create accounts. Additionally, Uthmeier says the app violates the bill by permitting teenagers of age to create an account without parental consent. 
“The lawsuit is focused on two things — deceiving parents and the real harms that are out there for kids,”  <a href="https://fox17.com/news/nation-world/florida-news-attorney-general-james-uthmeier-time-is-up-florida-takes-legal-action-against-tiktok-over-child-safety-concerns-st-lucie-county-civil-lawsuit-ages-14-and-15-must-have-parental-consent-predators-targeting-minors-social-media-dangers">Uthmeier said</a>.
 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/support/faq_detail?id=7543604784432093752&amp;category=web_account">TikTok</a> claims to be an app appropriate for children, saying its content will not contain any “focus on fear or suffering, profanity or vulgarity, serious violence, dangerous behavior, or threatening imagery, including blood, sexually suggestive content, explicit references to mature or complex themes.”
However, Florida’s lawsuit says that these themes appear regularly on the app and “often in graphic detail” — a violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and a deception to parents.
The lawsuit further claims that TikTok knew about these dangers posed to children and refused to address them.
“TikTok knowingly deceives parents and allows children to be exposed to harmful and inappropriate content in direct violation of Florida law,” Uthmeier said. “We have zero tolerance for companies that prioritize profit over children’s safety.&#8221;
According to Uthmeier, the app violated the law in order to keep the money flowing.
“TikTok’s success hinges on its ability to addict children and teenagers to the platform,&#8221; he added. 
The app functions on an “algorithm-driven feed” — a <a href="https://www.hivedigital.com/blog/how-social-media-algorithms-work/">ranking system</a> that places videos and posts in an order the user is most likely to enjoy. The design boosts time spent on the app, especially for younger users. 
“TikTok happens to be one of the most egregious social media applications when it comes to the dangers that are there at the fingertips of kids,” Uthmeier said.
The social media company has not responded to these allegations.

National-Conservatism-Conference-in-Washington

TikTok Under Fire As Florida Calls Out The App’s Deception

algorithm

Florida

The deaths of three Connecticut children from diphenhydramine overdoses have renewed concerns about a dangerous social media trend that encourages young people to consume excessive amounts of the over-the-counter allergy medication commonly sold as Benadryl.
In the past two months, three Connecticut children have died from Benadryl overdoses, according to the <a href="https://portal.ct.gov/oca/-/media/oca/oca-recent-publications/oca-statement-diphenhydramine-and-safe-storage-2026-06-10.pdf?rev=1feb34995f34436cbb121d417264c506">Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate</a> (OCA). If abused, the drug can lead to “serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death,” <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-warns-about-serious-problems-high-doses-allergy-medicine-diphenhydramine-benadryl">according to the FDA.</a> 
On Wednesday, the OCA issued a warning to parents and healthcare providers, emphasizing that “adolescents may misuse the medication.”
“We want parents to be aware that any medication, including prescription and non-prescription medication, is potentially dangerous to children of all ages. We strongly encourage parents to store all medications safely, to ensure they are not easily accessible to children,” the agency said in a statement. 
The agency said it could not confirm whether the deaths were linked to the so-called &#8220;Benadryl Challenge,&#8221; a TikTok trend that started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
“OCA has received media inquiries requesting information on whether the deaths are related to a TikTok challenge. OCA cannot confirm such a connection. What is most important is that providers and parents be aware that adolescents may misuse the medication,” the agency said at the time. 

The disturbing trend gained so much traction online that the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-warns-about-serious-problems-high-doses-allergy-medicine-diphenhydramine-benadryl">FDA issued a warning</a> alerting parents to its potentially deadly consequences.
Noelia Swymeler, a pediatric resident physician at the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa School of Community Medicine, said trends such as the “Benadryl Challenge” stem from the drug’s sedating effects.
Some teens intentionally consume excessive amounts of diphenhydramine and then fight the resulting drowsiness in an effort to experience hallucinations and a euphoric high, <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases-from-aap-conferences/social-media-challenge-encouraging-adolescents-to-engage-in-dangerous-over-the-counter-drug-use/?srsltid=AfmBOor0USeru-d12kUM8PkYkSUuJCHX5nPDiXKd_nUi27w7NwMX5PWs">according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. </a>
The trend&#8217;s apparent resurgence does not appear to be limited to Connecticut.
Last month, an Oklahoma father warned parents of the challenge after his 11-year-old daughter, Molly Miller, died from a diphenhydramine-related overdose, according to a local news outlet. 
Mason Miller, Molly’s father, said he found his daughter unresponsive. 
“When I went back there, she was laying on the ground covered in vomit,” Miller told <a href="https://www.news9.com/oklahoma-city-news/anadarko-dad-warns-of-social-media-dangers-after-daughters-death-linked-to-possible-benadryl-challenge">Channel 9 News.</a> “We started CPR and called 911. I was just praying, ‘God, raise my daughter.’” 

Experts say social media trends continue to encourage dangerous misuse of common medications.
“The fact that we continue to see spikes in harmful diphenhydramine use years after the challenge first went viral shows just how powerful and dangerous social media trends can be,” <a href="https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases-from-aap-conferences/social-media-challenge-encouraging-adolescents-to-engage-in-dangerous-over-the-counter-drug-use/?srsltid=AfmBOor0USeru-d12kUM8PkYkSUuJCHX5nPDiXKd_nUi27w7NwMX5PWs">Swymeler said.</a>

Social media

The Deadly Online Trend Parents Thought Was Gone Is Back

drug abuse

News

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Leave it to people on the internet to complain about even the most innocuous things. One X user <a href="https://x.com/handslikevap0r/status/2055111321910157422">snarked</a> last week that a woman she “went to school with” is “trying to be a Raleigh, North Carolina influencer.” That tweet went mega-viral, with over 24 million views and tens of thousands of likes.
The point of the tweet was obviously mockery, but about what, exactly? That the young woman grew up in a Raleigh suburb and still lives in the area? That she’s conventionally attractive and stylish without the edge of a jaded Brooklynite? That it’s embarrassing to try to be an influencer from somewhere as obscure as the capital city of a Southern state?
“When I saw it, I was like, ‘What in the world?’” Bayleigh Adams, the subject of the viral tweet, told The Daily Wire. “I don’t know if she was being mean towards me specifically, or just like the idea of somebody doing it in Raleigh, who knows?”
Bayleigh said she started posting about local events on her TikTok account just in the past few months, gathering several thousand followers for her posts on the goings-on in North Carolina’s second most populous city. She says she knew of the woman who tweeted about her, but they had never even had a conversation. Nevertheless, the publicity was good news for her page. “Ever since that tweet, it’s done a lot better,” she says.
Not everyone who exists publicly online aspires to Kardashian levels of fame, nor should she. Micro-influencers across the country keep countless people apprised of fun happenings in their neighborhoods and cities. Without them, we’d miss out on farmers&#8217; markets, art fairs, happy hours, and plenty of community events. Whereas people once found out about upcoming events in the paper, today they hear about them on Instagram and TikTok.
“I feel like Raleigh has started becoming a more up-and-coming city,” Bayleigh says. “We’re getting new trending restaurants and bars and more things to do where it used to be kind of the same old things, so I’ve just been trying to promote that.”
“I really enjoy doing things in general,” she adds. “If anything, this has made me step out of my comfort zone with doing the same activities, and it’s making me try new places and do new things. And hopefully it’s helping other people find some things to do too.”
The <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bayleighadams/photo/7639740167284182285">post</a> that went viral listed several events happening that upcoming weekend. If you were in Raleigh earlier this month, you might’ve wanted to watch “Beauty and the Beast” by the Carolina Ballet, shop at a night market, or chow down at a food truck festival. 
After Bayleigh went viral, many onlookers rushed to her defense. “[T]his is such a hating *ss post I had to find her and follow,” one person <a href="https://x.com/turntineforwhat/status/2055393436241408097">said</a>. “Bayleigh from Rayleigh got a ring to it!” 
Bayleigh herself took it in stride, posting to her TikTok, “[By the way] I’ve never even had a conversation [with] that girl from my high school, but [thanks] for the support girlie… anyways follow along for things to do in Raleigh.”
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@bayleighadams/video/7640125974004239630" data-video-id="7640125974004239630">
<section><a title="@bayleighadams" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bayleighadams?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@bayleighadams</a> Thx gf! <a title="raleigh" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/raleigh?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#raleigh</a> <a title="thingstodoinraleigh" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/thingstodoinraleigh?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#thingstodoinraleigh</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Ian Asher" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7588227011932474142?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; Ian Asher</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
News of the viral drama went all the way to the governor’s mansion, where Bayleigh herself was <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bayleighadams/video/7641689360148090125">invited</a> to a wine-tasting event with other content creators — via DM from the governor&#8217;s account. Everyday viewers have also reached out, Bayleigh says, to thank her for sharing businesses and events that they’ve tried out themselves.
It can be embarrassing to post videos of yourself, Bayleigh admits. But that’s no reason not to do it. 
“At the end of the day, I think that the success that you want to have, it’s not going to happen by just sitting around. You have to actually do it,” she says. “If this is something you want to do and you want to post or whatever it is, you shouldn’t worry about what anybody says. There can be a thousand positive comments and you’re gonna have somebody that is gonna give you a hate comment or somebody that’s gonna make fun of you. And, honestly, who cares?”
Gen Z’s aloof, irony-poisoned attitude may finally be giving way to something more earnest. Or, at least, more people are embracing the mantra, let people enjoy things. If anything, people need more reasons to leave their living rooms and meet up with their neighbors.
Bayleigh is looking forward to trying a new cocktail bar and posting a video, which can take the edge off trying a new place for some viewers. &#8220;Those sorts of things help too because I know when I’m going somewhere I want to see the vibe,&#8221; she says. What are people wearing? What should you expect? &#8220;So I think that’s helpful too, and a lot of people seem to think that as well.&#8221;
“Obviously people are loving it,” Bayleigh says, “so I’ll keep doing it.”

IMG_5661

She Got Mocked Online For Posting Wholesome Content. Then Came The Plot Twist.

Good-faith skeptics and bad-faith conspiracy peddlers from TikTok live streams to Substack sleuths are flooding the online ether with lies and half-truths about the attempted assassination of President Trump and his senior team at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night. Some, potentially motivated by TDS, insist it was a false flag operation staged by the government. Others claim there was no shooting at all and the only shots were due to friendly fire. Never mind that the Department of Justice has already charged the 31-year-old suspect (whom I won’t name) with, among other felonies, one count of &#8220;discharging a firearm during a crime of violence&#8221; — a charge that would make zero sense if he never pulled the trigger.
The central thesis for many who assert the government is lying to us about the events of April 22, including <a href="https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/is-the-justice-department-lying-about-saturday-s-shooting">Garrett Graff,</a> rests on the initial criminal complaint against the 31-year-old suspect. Skeptics and cynics point to the complaint’s use of passive voice, the absence of an explicit allegation or perceived audio evidence that the assailant fired the first round, the timeline, and the employment of TSA agents at magnetometers.
Graff specifically notes the absence of a charge for “assaulting a federal officer” under 18 U.S.C. § 111, which one would expect to see if someone shot a Secret Service officer. That’s a fair observation. Except, it ignores the fact that this is the initial charging document filed less than 48 hours after the incident and is designed to focus on what can be immediately proven from preliminary evidence and witness statements — how federal prosecutions are supposed to begin.
He goes on to suggest the single unaccounted shot could have been friendly fire from another federal agent. Citing the Wall Street Journal analysis showing six total shots fired on ballroom recordings, Graff argues none of them “sound to me like a shotgun” — implying the first shot wasn’t the gunman’s at all but came from a service pistol.
Well, hold on.
<div id="attachment_1084285" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1084285" class="size-large wp-image-1084285" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-864x576.jpeg" alt="Federal agents draw their guns out after an incident at the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-864x576.jpeg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-1800x1200.jpeg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2273148555-1200x800.jpeg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Nathan Howard/Getty Images</div>
The publicly available audio does capture a distinct initial pop followed by five rapid return shots from the officer’s service weapon. A 12-gauge shotgun fired indoors is obviously loud, but so is a 9mm or .40-caliber service pistol fired in a hotel. The presence of six shots, not five, is precisely why the DOJ’s theory is that the gunman fired just once.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has already explained the government’s early working theory of what happened: a preliminary review found an empty spent shotgun shell still inside the chamber of the 12-gauge pump-action shotgun the assailant was carrying when he sprinted through the magnetometer. A spent shell in the chamber of a pump-action shotgun is strong circumstantial evidence that it was cycled and fired. Ballistics experts are still doing the detailed work, including gunshot residue testing, trajectory mapping, and audio forensics, to confirm exactly which weapon produced the first shot.
Graff also questions the timeline and the perpetrator’s actions captured on surveillance cameras. In the video, the attacker is seen sprinting past the magnetometer, shotgun in hand. He is off camera for just a few seconds, where he would have presumably readied his weapon before firing.
Graff argues that there simply would not be enough time for him to bring his shotgun to bear, and fire at close range — something he calls “challenging” for “someone even far more experienced with firearms than [defendant] appears to be.”
Yet, the entire sequence from breach to tackle was recounted by eyewitnesses, body-worn cameras (standard for Uniformed Division officers), and venue security. While the video doesn’t show the exact trigger pull, the audio, the spent casing, the officer’s vest impact, subsequent injury, and the shooter’s immediate arrest with a loaded shotgun and .38-caliber pistol help shape the story as more evidence comes to light.
Acting AG Blanche has been explicit, saying more forensic examination is underway. On Monday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro reinforced that these are just the initial charges by saying, “More to come.”
The American public can expect the complaint to be superseded with additional details from the ballistics report and full video review. You can bank on one of the additional charges being §111, &#8220;assault against a federal officer.&#8221;
Perhaps his weakest point, Graff notes that TSA personnel were helping run some of the magnetometers — a fact he presents as evidence that the Secret Service was “overstretched.” Well, speaking as a former Homeland Security official, I know firsthand that supplemental screening by partner federal agencies is routine for mega-events like the Correspondents’ Dinner, which requires layered security. That is standard interagency support.
Those who say the DOJ may be “misleading the public” or exaggerating the threat to keep the events of April 25 “scary or threatening” are belied by the investigation’s transparency: releasing the complaint quickly, the president and DOJ officials&#8217; late-night press conference hours after the shooting, and the Acting AG’s daily interviews or press conferences every day since.
Six gunshots, an injured officer, a suspect tackled with two loaded firearms, the pre-attack email signed “‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen,” the manifesto found in his hotel room, and his cross-country train trip specifically for this event don’t simply vanish because the first complaint was conservatively worded or because ballistics work takes time.
Americans can and should be skeptical about what the U.S. government tells us — we’ve been lied to in the past — but the facts in this case simply don’t fit the fiction that TikTok investigators or Substack sleuths are serving up.
Skepticism is wise, sanity is essential.
* * *
Tricia McLaughlin served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. Follow her on X: @TriciaOhio

Senior Justice Department Leaders Announce Charges Against Correspondents Dinner Gunman

‘False Flag’ Frenzy Erupts After Trump Attack But The Facts Won’t Cooperate

'False Flag' Frenzy Erupts After Trump Attack But The Facts Won’t Cooperate

Donald Trump

Shooting

Substack

White House Correspondents’ Dinner

A pregnant woman on TikTok posted a video of herself playing music next to her stomach so her unborn son would turn out gay.
The video, posted to X by independent journalist Cam Higby, shows user Katie Frank playing ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” with the caption: “POV you’re pregnant with a boy and gotta make sure he turns out a little gay.”
“No toxic masculinity allowed in this house,” the caption said.
“This is DISGUSTING,” Higby said in his post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A mother posted on TikTok that she’s playing “gay” music next to her baby bump hoping that it will make her son gay.
The entire comment section is FLOODED with to-be mothers and mothers sharing techniques they used or are using to make their own kids gay.
This is DISGUSTING. <a href="https://t.co/HqpybMv469">pic.twitter.com/HqpybMv469</a>
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) <a href="https://twitter.com/camhigby/status/2047704691992043876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The video has 4.3 million views on TikTok and more than 950,000 likes.
The comments of the video, which Higby also posted, were filled with moms talking about wanting their sons to be gay.
“My son is four and exclusively listens to sabrina carpenter [sic]… hopes are VERY high,” one comment, which has more than 97,000 likes, said.
Another comment with more than 150,000 likes was from a mother celebrating her son wanting to go to theater camp.
“My son just officially came out a few months ago,” yet another comment said.
“I can confirm this worked for me,” a third commenter said. “Manifesting for you.”
“My son LOVES the new lady Gaga song. He’s on 1 1/2 but I have high hopes,” another stated.
Other comments were from self-described gay users thanking moms in the comments for being supportive.
“Didn’t start my transition until just recently because I never [sic] given the space to explore who I was as a child,” one commenter said. “Seeing the moms in the comment section who let their kids be who they are without judgement gives me a bit of hope.”
Another wrote, “As a gay man this comment section is making me tear up, thank you for being so loving and accepting Moms!”
The only negative comment from the woman&#8217;s video was one user who wrote, “Hope yall get better soon.”
Conservatives, on the other hand, shredded the video in Higby’s comments.
“But they say gay people are ‘marginalized and oppressed’…so they want their kids to be oppressed???” conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted.
“Not sure who needs to hear this, but this is child abuse,” conservative actor Kevin Sorbo wrote on X.
Others said listening to ABBA music was the wrong strategy.
“I grew up listening to air supply and ABBA, this technique doesn’t work,” Andrew Gruel posted in response to the video.

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