An Indian med student says he used AI to build a fake MAGA thirst trap named 'Emily Hart' — and made thousands per month before Instagram banned it

By sharing provocative content that depicts a scantily clad Hart as a die-hard MAGA supporter, Sam racked up millions of social media views and made thousands of dollars selling anti-woke apparel and content subscriptions.

“Every reel I posted was getting three million views, five million views, 10 million views. The algorithm loved it,” Sam told Wired.

Creating Emily Hart

Sam, who is studying to become an orthopedic surgeon, said he plans to emigrate to the United States after graduation, which explains his decision to hide his identity.

Looking to earn extra money and save for his move, Sam searched online for ways to make a quick buck and eventually landed on the idea of creating a lascivious AI influencer while scrolling on Instagram. Using Google Gemini’s Nano Banana Pro, he built the character and began posting images of her in bikinis and other revealing clothing.

At first, the content gained little traction, so Sam turned to Gemini for advice.

“If you create a generic ‘hot girl,’ you’re competing with a million other models,” Gemini told Sam, according to a transcript the latter gave to Wired. After offering a few potential options to stand out on social media, the chatbot landed on the “MAGA/conservative niche” and even called it a “cheat code.”

“The conservative audience (especially older men in the U.S.) often has higher disposable income and is more loyal,” Gemini reportedly added.

Armed with that strategy, Sam created Emily Hart, a supposed “registered nurse” that Wired describes as a “Jennifer Lawrence look-alike.” Sam also created @emily_hart.nurse, an Instagram account where he shared images of Hart doing things like drinking Coors Light, ice fishing and shooting rounds at a range.

“If you want a reason to unfollow: Christ is king, abortion is murder, and all illegals must be deported,” read the caption on one of Hart’s posts. “POV: You were assigned intelligent at birth, but you identify as liberal ,” read another.

‘The MAGA crowd is made up of dumb people’

Sam, unsure whether the grift was too obvious, was surprised when Hart’s Instagram account blew up, gaining more than 10,000 followers in about a month. Even better for him, many followers subscribed to Hart’s AI-generated softcore content on Fanvue, a subscriber-based platform that rivals OnlyFans.

Along with the online subscriptions, Sam sold MAGA-themed apparel. He estimates the two revenue streams brought in a few thousand dollars per month.

That success did not carry over when he tried to create a left-leaning counterpart.

“Democrats know that it’s AI slop, so they don’t engage as much,” Sam told Wired. “The MAGA crowd is made up of dumb people — like, super dumb people. And they fall for it.”

The venture didn’t last long, however. In February 2026, about a year after it was launched, @emily_hart.nurse was banned on Instagram for fraudulent activity. Hart’s Facebook account reportedly remains active.

AI content is taking over social media

While platforms like Meta often label AI-generated content with industry-standard indicators, many posts evade detection. That allows accounts like Hart’s to spread widely, and she isn’t the only AI influencer to get MAGA’s attention.