When Lydia Shaffer, the influencer known as “Conservative Barbie,” left President Trump’s midterm convention Wednesday night, she knew she had a problem. The speeches described a booming country, and Trump called the affordability crisis “fake.” But her followers were still hurting. “Honestly, people are still hurting right now,” said Ms. Shaffer, whose handle is “conservativebarbie2.0.”

More than 100 influencers were invited by the Republican National Committee, given prime seats and “creator” credentials. They partied at a TikTok event. “We got great treatment in 2024,” said Xaviaer Du Rousseau, who has over a million followers. “But this is even better.”

The challenge was boosting the party when the stage’s prosperity clashed with surging costs. Bogdan Laurentiu, with more than 700,000 followers, stuck to immigration: “I don’t talk about prices.” Ms. Shaffer posted selfies and a video honoring Charlie Kirk, hoping to capture the energy of like-minded people.

With midterms less than two months away, the GOP needs young voters, but Trump’s lagging polls and the war in Iran have divided online names.