A TikTok from creator @kellymacj has the app debating politics and dating after she shared how she spent two months with a man who misrepresented his vote in the 2024 election, claiming he supported former Vice President Kamala Harris during her presidential run, when in fact, he had actually cast his ballot for President Donald Trump.
Featured VideoShe ended the relationship immediately after his confession, though her video prompted wider debate online about whether “moderate” has quietly become code for “Republican” on dating apps, and why some men are lying about their politics to pursue liberal women in the first place.
Are more conservatives lying about who they voted for?
Last Monday, TikToker @kellymacj posted a video about the two months she wasted dating a man she thought she could have a future with. Her experience led her to believe that this phenomenon is becoming more common.
Advertisement“I believe more young men are lying in dating about who they voted for, and I believe this because this happened to me,” she said.
She explained that while it’s fine if others want to date people with differing politics, she’s very intentional in seeking out partners whose values align with her own. That’s why, on her most recent first date, she laid this out for the guy and questioned him about his political beliefs.
He was a little cagey at first, but on their second date, he claimed he voted for Harris. The TikToker says that although he called himself “moderate,” he seemed to carry some pretty liberal ideals. She didn’t press him more than that, deciding to trust him and learn more about his beliefs organically.
At the two-month point, he asked her to be exclusive, and she happily agreed because he was nice and they got along well. That’s when he sent her a long message confessing that he’d lied about his politics and that he’d voted for Trump in 2024.
AdvertisementThe TikToker ended the relationship then and there, irritated that she’d wasted so much time. His excuse for this deceit was that “I just really liked you and really wanted you to get to know me more” and that after all that time, she would “know his heart better.”
“I don’t think I’m the only woman who’s experienced this,” she concluded.
@kellymacjI know I’m going to have creepy trolls in these comments but alas
♬ original sound – Kellymacj
“Moderate” on a dating app means “Republican,” say the girls
She’s not wrong. Throughout 2025, reports have been coming out on dating app users, especially men, who mislead potential partners about their politics. It got to the point that women started viewing the word “moderate” on a profile as code for “Republican.”
AdvertisementThis might have something to do with a survey published by the American Enterprise Institute in January, which found that 52 percent of single women are less likely to date a man if he’s a Trump supporter.
Commenters on Kelly’s TikTok video seem to agree that “moderate” is a red flag word.
“Girl moderate is the new republican I fear,” said @lilyyyofthevalley. “They say they’re moderate but they’re actually just republicans.”
Advertisement“Kamala voters have no shame in saying they voted for her,” claimed @drshwazz92. “Trump voters always have to say ‘not into politics, undecided, I’m a moderate, both sides are bad’ which tells you everything you need to know.”
Those actually on the left are having a hard time understanding why conservative men think they’ll get away with this, and also why they don’t just date women who align with their right-wing values.
“‘Once she finds out I’m both a Trump supporter *and* a liar she’ll certainly fall for me,’” wrote @user2836598108597.
Advertisement“Why are they going for liberal women when republican women are RIGHT THERE,” asked @plastictomboi.
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