The culture wars have reached the dinner table, and according to Vanity Fair, ordering a steak or mixing a protein shake might be a sign you’ve been “radicalized” by MAGA. In a May 1 feature titled “Why Are Americans So Obsessed With Protein? Blame MAGA,” the outlet tried to connect Americans’ increasing focus on protein-rich diets to Trump, the so-called “manosphere,” and even a supposed pipeline to anabolic steroid abuse.
Yes, really.
The article begins with anecdotal claims from a physician who says more of his male patients are talking about increasing their protein intake. From there, the leap is made: if more men are eating protein, it must be tied to masculinity, identity politics, and ultimately Donald Trump. “Everyone’s letting their testosterone out these days,” the doctor quipped, setting the tone for a piece that frames nutritional science as political extremism.
The piece portrays protein as the fuel of the “manosphere,” a loosely defined world of male influencers accused of being anti-feminist. From Joe Rogan’s discussions of the carnivore diet to Trump’s love of burgers, Vanity Fair paints a straight line between high-protein meals and populist politics.
Podcasters like Theo Von and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman are dragged in, the former for his comedy, the latter for encouraging balanced, evidence-based nutrition — advice that, apparently, is now suspicious if it involves protein.
At one point, the article even speculates that young men’s fascination with protein shakes could form a “pipeline” to steroid abuse, as though whey protein were a gateway drug.
The framing is absurd. Protein has been a dietary cornerstone since before MAGA hats existed. From athletes to everyday Americans, men and women alike have long used high-protein diets to build strength, preserve muscle mass, and support longevity. That trend is only growing as more women embrace resistance training and higher protein intake for bone health and healthy aging.
Fox News contributor Mary Katharine Ham put it bluntly in response: “If wanting a steak and prominent delts is wrong, I don’t want to be right.” She noted that the Left seems to be surrendering ordinary lifestyle choices — fitness, weightlifting, nutrition — to conservatives by politicizing them.
The irony is that if the article were stripped of politics, its premise wouldn’t be controversial at all. Americans are more focused on protein because it’s one of the few universally recognized strategies for maintaining long-term health. But instead of embracing that, Vanity Fair chose to turn breakfast into a battlefield, where eating a chicken breast might mark you as an extremist.
