For nearly a decade, Ashley St. Clair was a fixture in the MAGA media ecosystem, rising from a 19-year-old recruit at Turning Point USA to a powerhouse with over a million followers. Now, in a revealing “get ready with me” video, she is lifting the veil on what she describes as a “coordinated and very sophisticated influence” machine that prioritizes paid messaging over grassroots conviction.
The Digital Paper Trail
According to St. Clair, the machinery behind right-wing social media isn’t just a collection of like-minded individuals; it’s a professional marketing operation. She describes a system where Republican operatives—including former White House officials—build digital platforms where influencers can browse and sign up for active campaigns.
“Right-wing influencers can log onto and see active campaigns and sign up for and get paid for promoting certain messaging, certain initiatives, certain petitions,” St. Clair explains.
The compensation is structured exactly like a corporate brand deal, with flat rates or “per click” payments. However, a major regulatory loophole allows these influencers to skip the “sponsored” or “ad” hashtags typically required by the FTC.
“The structure is indistinguishable from ad campaigns that you would do for traditional companies… they are given a script, they are paid, and they post it. And the only difference is that they do not have to disclose that it’s an ad… since it is not a good or product.”
High-Stakes Contracts and Billionaire Requests
St. Clair’s most striking claims involve high-level political maneuvering. She alleges she was offered significant sums to influence public opinion regarding cabinet positions, specifically for former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell.
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- The Cabinet Push: “I was offered a lot of money to promote Rick Grenell for secretary of state,” she claims, suggesting he was just one of many involved in a “pay-to-play scheme.”
- The Billionaire “Sting”: She also recounts a request from a wealthy donor with a “personal beef with Southwest” who asked her to conduct a sting operation to see if the airline was transporting migrants.
Manufactured Silence
The video highlights a “trickle-down” effect of influence. While the largest accounts are in group chats with administration officials to receive their “marching orders,” smaller influencers follow suit, assuming the wave of content is organic agreement.
St. Clair estimates that “99% of the largest influencers that you have seen in the right wing… are paid or compensated.” This ecosystem is held together by “asymmetric” confidentiality agreements that ensure those who have a change of heart cannot speak out without being “sued into oblivion.” Ultimately, St. Clair paints a picture of a democracy where money has been codified as speech, resulting in a system where “there is no free thinking here whatsoever.”
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