The rise of the conservative wellness influencer

Alex Clark stands out on mic and on camera. The 31-year-old wellness influencer and podcaster has nearly half a million followers on YouTube and ranks among the top 10 wellness podcasts on Apple. While wellness has long been associated with liberal hippies, Clark hails from a conservative background. She’s part of the new “Make America Healthy Again” movement questioning modern medicine, backing President Donald Trump and supporting anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has started as health and human services secretary. For the last year and a half, reporter Kara Voght has been following Clark’s rise, spending time with her in Arizona. Today, Voght speaks with host Martine Powers about Clark’s rise as a conservative wellness warrior, what’s behind the changing politics of wellness, and what that could mean for the nation’s health.  Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks also to Steve Kolowich.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.