This Slate piece by Tess Owen, titled “Trad-Wife in Chief,” profiles Katie Miller—wife of Trump advisor Stephen Miller—and her attempt to rebrand herself from a hardline government spokesperson into a “squeaky-clean” lifestyle influencer for MAGA women.
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The article centers on Miller’s new podcast, which features high-profile MAGA figures (like J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, and Katie Britt) engaging in aggressively banal conversations about cheeseburgers, eyewear, and “dad icks.” Owen argues, and I agree, is that this isn’t just bad content; it is a deliberate political project designed to:
- Softwash Hard Policy: By focusing on “trad-wife” aesthetics (motherhood, healthy eating, home life), the podcast aims to provide a “patina of softness” over the administration’s harshest policies, such as mass deportations and military patrolling of U.S. streets. It also harkens back to the ‘good ole days’ of the 1950s, that the Republican party wishes to return to.
- Court White Women: The goal is to close the gender gap by making MAGA ideology feel culturally accessible and “normal” to suburban women. This is the gateway drug towards acceptance of the rest of the GOP agenda.
- Rewrite Her Own History: The piece contrasts Miller’s current “soft” persona with her past. Classmates from her wealthy Florida upbringing describe her as a “status-seeker” who once petitioned to remove a Black teacher for discussing the trauma of slavery. Her career was built on being a “government attack dog” who famously told a journalist that seeing separated families at the border didn’t change her mind because “it didn’t work.”
The “Madness” of Rewriting History
Is this a hallmark of what critics call aesthetic authoritarianism. For the ultra-wealthy and powerful, rewriting history isn’t just about lying; it’s about controlling the vibe of reality so completely that facts become secondary to feelings.
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The Erasure of Consequences: In the world of the ultra-wealthy, history is treated like a Wikipedia page they have “edit” access to. By pivoting to a podcast about “joyful motherhood,” Miller attempts to decouple her identity from the “architect of family separation” (her husband) and her own role in defending those policies. The madness lies in the expectation that the public will simply accept the new “skin” because it is lit with soft lamps and features high-end armchairs.
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The “Stepford” Simulation: The article notes Miller grew up in Weston, Florida—a town designed by the same company that built Disney World. This background is crucial. For the ultra-wealthy, reality is often a “planned community. ” They believe that if you can curate the surroundings (the “Grandma’s Linen” paint colors, the “trad-wife” outfits), you can curate the truth.
The need for an extreme rebrand usually signals a profound disconnect between one’s public actions and basic human empathy.
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The “Veneer of Normalcy”: When your professional legacy involves defending the “darkest and harshest” policies of a government, a “normal” life becomes a defensive tool. If you can convince the public you are “just a mom who likes The Great Gatsby,” it becomes harder for critics to call you a “fascist” without sounding hyperbolic to the average listener.
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The Moral Vacuum: The article highlights a specific chilling detail: Miller’s “rebrand” isn’t a pivot away from her old views—it’s a camouflage for them. She is still working for the same movement; she’s just changed the delivery system.
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The Failure of the Project: Interestingly, the piece notes the podcast is a “flop” in terms of numbers. This suggests that while the ultra-wealthy have the resources to build a stage for their revisionist history, they cannot always force an audience to believe the performance.
Source: Trad-Wife in Chief
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