Ex-staffers allege Nancy Mace made them game Reddit polls about her looks
Plus: Kid Rock's disgusting lyrics go viral 25 years later.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
Former staffers for Nancy Mace are speaking to the press about what it was like to work for her, including having to upvote positive threads about her on Reddit.
Kid Rock’s lyrics are back in the online spotlight after being announced as the Turning Point USA halftime show headliner.
Trump went after CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins during a press conference after she brought up the Epstein survivors.
Til next time!
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
Rep. Nancy Mace made aides upvote her in Reddit “who’s hotter” posts, former staff allege
A new exposé from New York Magazine alleges that South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace directed her congressional staff to upvote her in Reddit polls ranking the “hottest” women in Congress.
Former aides described an office environment consumed by image management, claiming Mace was “very adamant” about boosting posts focused on her appearance, a detail that seemed to overshadow broader allegations of abusive workplace behavior. The bombshell report published on Monday draws on stories from staff members who have worked for Mace since she took office in 2021.
JD Vance hyped Kid Rock as the right’s Super Bowl halftime show headliner. Then people dug up some of his old lyrics
After Vice President JD Vance lauded the choice of Kid Rock for Turning Point USA’s halftime show alternative, folks dug up troubling lyrics. The rapper’s contribution to the soundtrack of the 2001 film Osmosis Jones, “Cool, Daddy Cool,” sounds like something straight out of the Epstein files.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pushes back after Trump calls her “the worst reporter,” scolds her for not smiling
CNN anchor and Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins had pressed Donald Trump about concerns from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein regarding redactions in newly released Justice Department files. Rather than address those concerns, Trump dismissed the issue, insulted Collins personally, and criticized CNN.
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🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday:
➤ “Don’t expect much”: ICE agents are venting about missing pay and benefits on Reddit
Excellent roundup. The Mace story is wild because it shows how even elected officials are getting caught up in performancefor reddit votes. I worked in comms once and the pressurefor digital metrics can really warp priorities. The fact that apperance polls became an office task says alot about where political branding is headed.