Kim Kardashian has found herself at the center of online controversy once again.
This time, the queen of reality TV and a social media powerhouse found herself losing approximately 150,000 followers for a post shared on President Donald Trump's inauguration day (January 20).
Although Kim - who boasts a staggering 358 million Instagram followers - never shared a post directly featuring the new POTUS, she did share a photo of the new First Lady Melania Trump on her Stories.
The post, which showed Melania donning her now-iconic black Adam Lippes suit paired with a wide-brimmed Eric Javits hat, was uploaded on Inauguration Day.
But the move didn’t sit well with a chunk of her fanbase, costing her around 150,000 Instagram followers, as reported by the New York Post.
Social Blade - an American social media analytics website that tracks followers on social platforms - also reports that Kim lost around 150,000 followers in the days following January 20.
The Social Media Backlash
Fans didn’t hold back their feelings. Along with the unfollowers, Kardashian has been the target for biting criticism on her recent posts, with one user calling it “far right MAGA propaganda” and another urging others to boycott her brand: “Guys unfollow, don’t watch their show and don’t buy their products. Hit them where it hurts.”
Some fans speculated about her political leanings, writing: “Kim Kardashian posted a photo of Melania Trump? Yeah, it’s clear who she voted for.”
Another chimed in with: “She’s been waiting to let that out!”
One particularly pointed comment read: “Why are people shocked a billionaire is supporting the right??? That’s literally textbook.”
Another user expressed disappointment that Kardashian shared a photo of Melania but not one of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose federal holiday coincided with Inauguration Day.
But while many were critical, not all responses were negative. Some fans rallied in support of Kardashian’s post, simply taking the post as a sign of Kim's interest in fashion: “That was a great idea. Kim has a good taste for class and beauty.”
“She found her next Met Gala look," another wrote.
Others speculated the post marked a political shift for the entrepreneur: “Congrats on coming out of the closet, but we knew.”
Kim’s Political Past
Though Kardashian is known to lean Democratic, her political affiliations have always been nuanced.
In 2018, she leveraged her friendship with Ivanka Trump to convince then-President Donald Trump to commute the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman convicted of a nonviolent drug offense. She later participated in discussions at the White House on clemency and prison reform.
While she refrained from endorsing any presidential candidates in 2020, she did celebrate Joe Biden’s win with a photo of him and Vice President Kamala Harris, captioned with three blue hearts.
Her connections to the Trump administration, however, haven't always been smooth sailing.
In November 2023, Donald Trump himself called her “the world’s most overrated celebrity” while denying claims that he sought her help in attracting football stars to the White House, per the Daily Mail.
Adding another layer to the drama is Kardashian’s ex-husband Kanye West, a vocal Trump supporter who has doubled down on his endorsement for the 2024 election.
The reality star has yet to comment publicly on the backlash.