A far-right MAGA social media influencer known for anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is claiming political persecution after being barred from Texas Republican Party events, but local GOP leaders say the ban is about behavior, not ideology. Valentina Gomez, who has more than 400,000 followers online, alleged in an Instagram video that the Republican Party of Texas is “so corrupt” it banned her from events and even stripped her right to vote.
She offered no evidence for either claim. Gomez says the fallout came after she criticized the health of an 84-year-old congressman and claims she is under investigation by multiple federal agencies. Election officials have not confirmed any action affecting her voter registration. Local Republicans tell a different story. According to reporting by the Williamson County Sun, Gomez was barred after an altercation at a GOP gathering.
County GOP chair Michelle Evans said, “The type of self-serving behavior displayed Saturday is unacceptable in this context, and this candidate has been informed that she is no longer permitted to attend our private events or meetings.” Gomez previously ran and lost badly in a 2024 Missouri primary marked by antigay slurs and attacks on trans people. LGBTQ watchdog GLAAD has documented her use of dehumanizing language, and Meta later disabled her Instagram for repeated policy violations. Despite condemnation, including from Republicans, Gomez is now running in Texas, doubling down on extremist, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
