On the evening of March 7, Alabama Junior Senator Katie Britt took the national stage for the performance of a lifetime: the Republican rebuttal to President Biden’s State of the Union address. In her speech, Britt theatrically criticized Biden’s economic and immigration policies. Her emotions throughout the statement are unpredictable, her voice wavering with an angry passion one moment and a Joker-like grin the next. Yet, neither Britt’s off-putting whisper voice nor her unsettling smile stands out as much as the setting for this scene – her very own kitchen.

There’s a reason why the GOP chose Britt to give this trainwreck of a speech, and it certainly wasn’t for her speech-giving abilities. Britt is a young, white, Christian mom and wife. She prides her brand on these family values. She appeals to traditional Americans in a way that womanizer Donald Trump may not. But let’s not forget – Britt is a trailblazer. She made history as the first female junior senator from Alabama, and the youngest female Republican senator to be elected into the chamber. She has a law degree. Yet, she literally delivered her speech in the kitchen, subliminally or directly playing the role of a 1960’s dutiful and compliant housewife, the GOP’s favorite type of woman. 

This trend of traditionalism is not only appealing to the GOP, but many of its followers, who identify themselves as “tradwives.” The traditional wife (tradwife) trend surges through multiple social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram. Self-established tradwife influencers believe that men should be the only family providers and that a wife should obey her husband. Tradwives oppose the idea of radical feminism, claiming feminism is just pure “man-hating.”  

As the 2024 election nears, women’s rights are at risk. The overruling of Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago set a precedent for what the country is willing to do to erode progress made for women’s rights. Trump’s reelection could potentially incite a nationwide abortion ban. Just last month, The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are considered children, jeopardizing IVF fertility treatments. Essentially, we are steering closer and closer to forced birth.

Feminism opened up another realm of possibilities for women, opportunities that haven’t been around forever. But it’s all about choices. Being a stay-at-home mom is fine as long as it’s a choice. The tradwife trend insists that we reverse back in time, and that the sole role of a woman is to stay at home. The GOP is seeking to take away women’s choices, of how they handle their own bodies. By positioning Britt to give the Republican rebuttal, the GOP insists this is what their party stands for. 

While the issue of reproductive rights might come off as merely a “women’s issue,” it’s more than that. Once a woman’s uterus is under the control of the government, any civil right is up for grabs. Britt’s speech might just be another ridiculous monologue by a Republican party puppet, but this certainly isn’t the curtain call for the dark GOP agenda targeting women.