American TV personality Kim Kardashian lost nearly 150,000 Instagram followers after sharing stories about First Lady Melania Trump’s outfit during President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
According to James Hacking, founder of the analytics firm Socially Powerful, Kardashian’s follower drop highlights the risks celebrities face when engaging with politically divisive figures. In a press release, Hacking noted that most A-list celebrities have avoided publicly supporting Trump, especially during his second term.
“This administration has been incredibly polarizing, with many Hollywood celebrities distancing themselves from showing any support for President Trump,” Hacking said. “It’s intriguing that Kim Kardashian, the original influencer, chose to post a picture of the new First Lady, Melania Trump, despite this trend.”
Hacking added that even though Kardashian didn’t include a caption with the image, the backlash was swift. “It’s remarkable how a single image can lead to such a significant drop in followers. Whether Kim—or any of the Kardashians—posts about the Trump family or administration again remains to be seen, but it may come at the cost of more followers.”
Kardashian, who boasts approximately 358 million Instagram followers, faced criticism in the comments, with some labeling the post as “far-right MAGA propaganda.”
Additionally, Kardashian saw a loss of 9,553 followers on X (formerly Twitter) following the post, further highlighting the controversy it sparked among her fan base.
