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A person who probably doesn’t care about the issue but will say they support it in order to get popularity/recognition/etc. The only thing I can thing of is politician and campaign promises or hypocrite. But both don’t quite fit.

He never cared about the bees until it was trending, he’s such a/so _____. She is only started supporting the movement in order to get votes, after the election she’ll stop, all politicians are such a/so _____.

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  • Single word requests should include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used. Commented Oct 6, 2020 at 20:09
  • ... and a clarification of whether you are seeking a specific term for such people (and nobody else), or you would be happy to find a broader term that is suitable for such people (but can also be used for others).
    – jsw29
    Commented Oct 6, 2020 at 22:21
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    'Rep whore' comes close on websites awarding rep points. 'Slippery' is used by Rowling to describe one who sides with those keeping in with the winning side. Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 14:58
  • The expression 'bandwag[g]oning' is also quite relevant, if not a perfect fit. Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 15:43

4 Answers 4

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Awaiting further clarification, this sounds like virtue signaling. From Lexico:

virtue signalling (US virtue signaling)

The action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue.

Example: "Standing on the sidelines saying how awful the situation is does nothing except massage your ego by virtue signalling."

The term implies that you don't have to care about the issue, but you can advertise that you do, and this will make you look like a concerned and upstanding citizen. Put a sticker on your window and pat yourself on the back; you support stuff. Cambridge online dictionary elaborates (ref):

Virtue signaling is the popular modern habit of indicating that one has virtue merely by expressing disgust or favor for certain political ideas or cultural happenings.

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  • This sound exactly like the word I’m looking for. Thanks.
    – Human
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 15:19
  • Virtue signalling has considerable affinity to what the OP has in mind, but is not quite the same.The OP is is looking for a word for 'a person who probably doesn’t care about the issue', while many of the people who are said to engage in virtue signalling do actually care about the matter; it's just that they manifest that caring by ostentatious actions which do not do much to actually improve anything.
    – jsw29
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 15:19
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How about panderer? From Vocabulary.com:

A panderer is someone who tries to please others, not to help them but for an ulterior motive. A panderer kisses up to get something. A panderer is sometimes vulgar. Politicians are often panderers, especially the ones who say or do anything to get a vote or raise money. Pandering is dishonest because the panderer says what they think others want to hear, not what they really believe.

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A term describing this behaviour is "self-interested"; another one is "self-serving.

(OALD self-interested      considering only your own interests and not caring about things that would help other people

(OALD) self-serving     ​interested only in gaining an advantage for yourself
-- He was a ruthless, self-serving politician.
-- This analysis could be said to be self-serving rather than accurate.

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  • Self interested/serving is 90% what I want, but it sounds more of pushing their own ideas rather than joining other’s ideas.
    – Human
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 15:18
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My favorite words for describing such people with these characteristics are:

  1. (MW) unctuous: "having, revealing, or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality"

  2. (MW) disingenuous: "lacking in candor; giving a false appearance of simple frankness"

  3. (MW) facile: (1c) "readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth"

  4. (dictionary.com) slacktivist: A person who says they support a cause but does little or nothing to support that cause

  5. (MW) histrionic: "deliberately affected; overly dramatic or emotional"

    (MW synonym discussion) "THEATRICAL [sic] implies a crude appeal through artificiality or exaggeration in gesture or vocal expression."

    In a more clinical sense, Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) is a disorder afflicting people having symptoms including overly-enthusiastic attention-seeking behavior; sometimes HPD shares comorbidity with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). (springer.com)

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