The Taylor Frankie Paul And Donald Trump Scandal, Explained

In the wake of Taylor Frankie Paul's casting for (then ousting from) "The Bachelorette," Bachelor Nation fans began digging into "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star's background for tea. One major sticking point for many? Her falling into the camp of celebs who are clear supporters of Donald Trump. 

We'll kick things off with a disclaimer that everyone is entitled to support whomever they choose. Nevertheless, the reality star's detractors had a field day when a years-old Instagram comment resurfaced shortly after she was cast as "The Bachelorette" for the show's 22nd season. It's not clear what the context of her comment had been, but as seen in a screenshot shared to Reddit, Paul had gushed, "YESS TRUMP ALL THE WAY." "This will be the end and final full stop of Bachelor. They have officially jumped the shark with this casting," predicted one Redditor ... and in light of the fact that the season was canceled before it aired, they weren't entirely wrong (even if her political views weren't the reason why).

A few months after the comments resurfaced, Paul's political affiliation became a major social media talking point again, this time because she'd weighed in on the killing of Alex Pretti. In an Instagram Story, she'd shared that she felt "heavy" after seeing the video and that it had affected her just as much as Charlie Kirk's death had. That triggered yet another outcry, with one Instagrammer sharing a long list of social media replies calling her out for supporting Trump and his policies and adding that Kirk and Pretti's deaths should not be compared because they were "two very different situations." The Instagrammer also said she believed Paul had only made the statement because she was being pressured to do so, but that the language was still neutral enough to appease her MAGA fans. Like we said, a big sticking point. 

To Taylor Frankie Paul's credit, she didn't shy away from any of the online chatter about her comments about Alex Pretti and Charlie Kirk. Far from it, she responded directly to the Instagrammer who had said it was surprising she hadn't deleted her story after all the backlash. "The post is still up because I stand by what I said and I'll say it again. It's not about comparison it's about compassion for both situations that were heartbreaking to watch along with everything else we witness. That was the my point and I'm not apologizing for feeling human feelings for all. Period," Paul penned.

Naturally, a number of people commended her for it. "I love that even as you get criticism for your post, you stand your ground and stand by what you say. One of the reasons I love following you! Even if I disagree with some things, you stand by what you say and do!" one said. Another piggybacked on what Paul had said on her post about speaking out as a celebrity (to refresh, she'd written, "I know people with a platform get fearful to speak and I don't blame them. It comes with automatic hate, division and an emotional toll that can be detrimental"). "It's a lose/lose for anyone who speaks up about anything. Both were unnecessary deaths that are all over our screens," the fan agreed. 

Of course, not everyone was quite so impressed. In fact, some even doubled down on their criticism of Paul, with one accusing her of "tip toeing so she doesn't lose fans." Given how clearly Paul outlined her stance in her response, we're not convinced. Either way, something tells us the Utah native isn't planning on retracting anything anytime soon.