IHIP News Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Trad Wife Scandal Rocks MAGA As Bigoted Influencers Exposed in Sex Scandal
Hosts: Jennifer Welch (B) & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan (not present)
Guest: Will Sommer (C), Senior Reporter at The Bulwark
Date: February 15, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode takes a comedic yet pointed deep-dive into the latest "trad wife" sex scandal shaking the MAGA right. Host Jennifer Welch and guest Will Sommer dissect the hypocrisy, drama, and larger cultural implications of the affair between right-wing influencer Elijah Schaefer and Catholic "trad wife" influencer Sarah Stock. The conversation also exposes the broader undercurrents of misogyny, performative faith, and internal warring within online right-wing spaces.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Scandal and Main Figures

• [00:34] Jennifer cues up the topic: the "juicy, salacious" affair between Elijah Schaefer (right-wing influencer, formerly Glenn Beck's protégé) and Sarah Stock, self-styled trad wife and Catholic influencer.
• [01:22-01:56] Will Sommer explains Elijah's background:
  • Fired from Beck’s company due to sexual assault/harassment allegations.
  • Publicly adopted "traditional family values" post-scandal, promoting himself as a "real Christian guy" with wife and kids – now exposed as an act.

2. Elijah Schaefer’s Misogynist Rhetoric (Audio Clip)

• [02:07-03:15] Audio plays of Elijah Schaefer ranting about modern women:
  • Decries women as lacking femininity, says "they're just a bunch of holes."
  • Frames his misogyny as rooted in religious belief.
• Jennifer’s reaction ([03:15]): Calls out the toxic mix of "toxic masculinity wrapped up into Christianity."
• Will backs up ([03:38]): Points out the explicitly oppressive attitude toward women demonstrated in Schaefer’s rhetoric (with reference to another pastor present in the clip, Joel Webin).

Quote:
"A lot of the hatred that I have towards women and a lot of the hatred a lot of men have...is simply the product of generations of sin and rebellion that have created women to be something that they're not...They're just a bunch of holes."
– Elijah Schaefer, [02:35]

3. Details of the Affair, Right-Wing Infighting, and Milo Yiannopoulos’ Involvement

• [04:35-05:20] Jennifer reads from Milo Yiannopoulos’ public posts blowing the scandal up:
  • Claims about pregnancy scares, alleged abortion, and Milo’s questionable sources.
  • Will is skeptical of some unsupported details but vouches the affair and implosion of their right-wing media company is real.
  • Discussion of right-wing infighting, with Milo—himself an edgy figure—gleefully piling on Schaefer.

4. Sexuality Rumors, Sanctimony, and Hypocrisy

• [06:02-08:38] Milo’s claims that Elijah Schaefer is secretly gay are highlighted, and Will points out the bizarre fixation of right-wing influencers on each other’s sexualities, often weaponizing rumors against one another.
  • Jennifer draws parallels to broader right-wing obsession with regulating others’ sexuality and harsh religious upbringings creating deep-seated sexual dysfunction and misogyny.
  • Will observes: "The people who are most exercised about this stuff are holding these demons back or these secrets."

5. Impact and Fallout within the Trad Wife/Right-Wing Sphere

• [10:15-12:01] Discussion about the magnitude of the scandal on the trad wife subculture:
  • Sarah Stock’s young age and highly public, papal-blessed marriage add to the irony and drama.
  • Right-wing women pounce on her—mocking her engagement ring, calling her husband "broke boy."
  • Will notes: This episode highlights the generational divide among right-wing women about “tradition” and exposes dangers and hypocrisy in the trad wife lifestyle.

Quote:
"Turns out your man's gonna run off with a younger woman... Maybe this trad thing... was both hypocritical and also, if you're a regular person, it's kind of a dangerous way to live your life."
– Will Sommer, [11:32]

6. Weaponized Femininity and Right-Wing Women’s Role

• [12:01-13:07] Jennifer points out many trad wife influencers (ex: Erica Kirk) work full-time jobs while telling other women to “go back into the kitchen”, benefiting from feminist advances they publicly oppose.

Quote:
"They are riding the coattails of hardworking suffragettes and feminists. For them to... tell women to go back into the kitchen is a luxury."
– Jennifer Welch, [12:22]

7. Consequences for the Main Players

• [13:20-14:14] Sarah Stock claims she's being falsely maligned but admits to sin, deletes her Twitter, and fades from view, illustrating how the fallout "mostly falls on the woman."
• Elijah Schaefer pivots to 'bad boy' persona:
  • “Yeah, I have a dick and it works. Deal with it.” ([13:53], paraphrased)

8. Backlash and Generational Reconsideration

• [14:44-15:19] Will notes early signs of backlash; some young right-wing women are now questioning trad wife ideals.

9. Broader Cultural and Political Context

• [15:19-16:16] Jennifer and Will emphasize how these dynamics tie into broader threats to women’s rights and self-determination, citing Project 2025 and Heritage Foundation.
  • Will: The private reality of these “trad” marriages is a "horror show," not just imperfect but deeply abusive or dysfunctional.

10. More Scandal and Hypocrisy at Right-Wing Conventions

• [16:16-17:05] Will recounts stories of wild sexual behavior at CPAC and similar conservative events—contradictory to public “family values” posturing.

11. Further Rumors about Benny Johnson and Milo’s Role

• [17:05-18:25] Jennifer and Will discuss persistent rumors around Benny Johnson’s sexuality and marital drama, with no definitive proof but ongoing right-wing drama.
  • Milo’s shifting persona as ex-gay, born-again Catholic, and provocateur who enjoys stirring right-wing infighting.

12. The Catholic/Orthodox Right’s Rising Influence

• [19:07-21:58] Will unpacks how hardcore Catholic and Orthodox converts (e.g., J.D. Vance, Elijah Schaefer, Candace Owens) are increasingly prominent in the new right, often "trying on" identities for clout.
  • Jennifer remarks on the perceived “classier” status of Catholicism vs. evangelical megachurches—even within the Bible Belt.
  • Discussion of how conversion, religious posturing, and infighting play into the spectacle and content machine of right-wing media.

Quote:
"Often...with these media personalities, I think it's like they're kind of trying on different garbs...for content, essentially."
– Will Sommer, [20:24]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Elijah Schaefer’s misogyny, [02:35]:
  “Women really are just a bunch of holes today...Your view of women becomes so low.”
• Will on Trad Wife fallout, [11:32]:
  “…your man’s going to run off with a younger woman… maybe this trad thing… was both hypocritical and also, if you’re a regular person, it’s kind of a dangerous way to live your life.”
• Jennifer on weaponized faith, [12:22]:
  “They are riding the coattails of hardworking suffragettes and feminists… For them to… tell women to go back into the kitchen is a luxury.”
• Elijah, post-scandal bravado, [13:53]:
  “Yeah, I have a dick and it works. Deal with it.” (paraphrased)
• Will on religious identity, [20:24]:
  “I think it’s like they’re kind of trying on different garbs…for content, essentially.”

Important Timestamps by Topic

• 00:34 – Introduction of guest and rundown of the scandal basics
• 02:07 – Elijah Schaefer audio clip (misogynist rant)
• 03:15 – Hosts react, contextualizing Christianity and misogyny
• 04:35 – Milo Yiannopoulos posts and scurrilous details
• 06:02 – Sexuality rumors, gay-baiting, sanctimony
• 10:15 – Scandal’s impact on the trad wife world, generational divides
• 12:01 – Weaponization of female influencers, hypocrisy in trad spaces
• 13:20 – Fallout: Sarah disappears, Elijah pivots, gendered double standards
• 14:44 – Backlash within trad wife movement
• 15:19 – The political dangers for women, Project 2025
• 16:16 – The reality of abuse/hypocrisy at CPAC and in marriages
• 17:05 – Rumors about Benny Johnson, lawsuit threats, ongoing drama
• 18:36 – Milo’s journey: ex-gay, incel, provocateur
• 19:33 – Rise of “trad Caths” and religious identity as status/content
• 21:34 – Final remarks on religious status hierarchy among right-wingers

Tone

The conversation is sharp-witted, outrage-tinged, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek. Jennifer and Will mix exasperation, dark humor, and a clear-eyed critique of the hypocrisy and dangers in the trad wife/right-wing influencer space.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, drama-filled yet substance-rich exploration of the intersection of sex scandals, misogyny, and religious hypocrisy in MAGA online culture.