6 MAGA Women Who Tried (& Failed) To Nail Cowgirl Chic

Looking at a map of who voted for Donald J. Trump and secured his 2024 victory as President of the United States, you'll find that most of the Republican red on the map are states with big borders and lots of open land. And a lot of that land, like Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska, have ranches and farms — all the places where real cowboys and cowgirls live and work. 

So it's no surprise that Trump and all of his followers like to put forth the idea that they, too, are part of the wild, wild west. It's also no surprise that many of them fail in their attempts, especially when it comes to fashion. Much like Trump can't pull off wearing a cowboy hat (even if it does cover his hair), neither can several of his most ardent supporters: the ladies of MAGA.

Often in the spotlight, representing the US in various capacities, women who have been roped into Trump's atmosphere have also been lassoed into thinking they would look great in Western gear. They were wrong.

It's true that Lauren Boebert grew up in Colorado, which has its fair share of ranches and horses. But Boebert never worked as a cowpoke herding cattle or riding ponies. Far from it, she spent her teenage years working at McDonalds.  However, serving as a representative in Congress for the state since 2020 has obviously given her the idea that she's a cowgirl by association.

At a public event in February 2025, Boebert spoke with folks in her home state while dressed as a woman of the people or like someone she thought the people wanted to see. The politician and avid Donald Trump supporter wore a cowboy hat tipped low enough to kiss the rim of her trademark glasses. She paired the hat with a set of boots with a low block heel and pointed toe that either were or could pass for cowboy boots.

But then she had to go and gussy it all up, placing her in decidedly un-cowgirl territory. Her buttoned-up suit jacket (one of her many fashion fails to feature a blazer) was all politician, her blue jeans looked more designer than ranch-hand worn-in, and her manicured red nails did not give the impression she had been roping steer earlier that day. 

Kristi Noem grew up in South Dakota and served the state as both a member of Congress and a twice-elected governor. She grew up on the family ranch, and her father was an actual real-life cowboy. "We enjoyed chasing cows, driving tractors, and working together," she told Elysian about her childhood. Her family still owns the land, and Noem still rides horses. Of all of the MAGA women, she's the closest thing to a real cowgirl. So you would think she would know better.

For a big night out in November 2024, when Noem was still governor and before she became the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, she attended the Lainey Wilson concert in Sioux Falls. Backstage, she posed with musician Jackson Dean and Wilson herself. The singer was decked out in fringe, leather-looking pants, and a cowboy hat — perfectly appropriate for someone performing on stage. 

Noem, however, couldn't seem to decide if she was out for a special night in a little black dress or headed to the family farm to rope a cow. Her tall, tan cowboy boots rose all the way up and disappeared under the hem of her dress, while her tan cowboy hat looked as if it would hold a whole lot more than ten gallons, easily dwarfing Wilson's black hat in height and width.

Growing up in New Hampshire, Karoline Leavitt did not have many opportunities to experience the cowboy lifestyle, and that was very obvious seeing the faux-cowgirl outfit she wore on a 2023 trip to Texas. Leavitt is a well-known political figure who's gained attention for being the youngest White House press secretary. She has also earned a reputation for being a true devotee of President Donald Trump and for having quite the age gap with her husband, Nicholas Riccio. And now, we can add questionable fashion sense to the list of things she's known for.

"Texas, you're a really good time," Leavitt wrote on her Instagram page. She posted a short video to accompany her caption, featuring her happily walking down the street dressed in her idea of what a cowgirl might wear. Tight and shiny black leather or pleather leggings and a black scoop-neck top were at the base of her outfit. She then topped it off with an elaborate pair of white decorative cowboy boots and a white cowboy hat with indent creases so sharp it couldn't have been more than a week old.

And the kicker that really showed Leavitt was dressing more for the stereotype than the real thing was a white jacket with a line of fringe reaching from one wrist, across her back, all the way to the other wrist. In the video, she spun around to specifically show off the fringe flying about, every strand waving hello to bad fashion choices.

When the rodeo comes to New York City, there's a lot of western gear that gets bought, dragged out of closets, or borrowed. In January 2017, the Professional Bull Riders came to the Big Apple, so naturally, Fox News personality Dana Perino and Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump's 2025 choice for Greek Ambassador, decided to play dress up.

Perino, co-host of "America's Newsroom," opted for black leather pants, a simple black turtleneck, and a black cowboy hat. Not her best look, but her wardrobe choice suddenly didn't seem so bad when she posed next to Guilfoyle. Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-fiancée went a little overboard with her accessories. The slim-fit cowboy hat with the extra-curly brim came with its own shiny wreath of silver medallions.

The real faux pas, though, was her belt. A large buckle with an image of a cowboy on a bucking bronco was prominently displayed, standing out against her black ensemble. Buckles are a big deal in the rodeo world and often serve as the equivalent of a trophy or award. If you're wearing one, you're a champion in bull-riding, barrel-racing, or another skill associated with cowboys and cowgirls. Guilfoyle, showing off a big buckle without earning it, was a little like showing up at the Olympics wearing a gold medal you bought off eBay.

Ivanka Trump may not have joined her father's administration for his second term in office, but she's still a daddy's girl and supported Donald J. Trump at his inauguration. What she isn't, however, is a cowgirl — in any sense of the word.

Ivanka grew up in New York City, in the heart of Manhattan. She attended a private school and didn't even leave the East Coast to attend college, having gone to Georgetown University and then graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. When she started her own fashion line, it was about high-end shoes and handbags. And there was never a cowboy hat or a pair of cowboy boots in sight.

But somehow, in February 2023, she felt compelled to dress up like a ranch hand, Ivanka style. A low-slung pair of hip-hugger black pants was held up by a turquoise and silver chunky belt, a nod to the Southwest region she has never lived in. She paired the bottoms with a snug, cropped black vest and what appeared to be a pair of black boots. Cowgirl may have been what she was going for, but she really only succeeded in looking like she was trying to snag a bartender gig at the Coyote Ugly Saloon.