There is a population of Americans who have felt disrespected and unappreciated all their lives.
The reasons why are many. Some may have had little encouragement as children. Some felt they got lost in the system. Some may have had a traumatic event in their life and they did not get the help they wanted and needed. They became bitter. Some may feel others are taking from them without even a ‘thank you.’ Some were raised with parents with a chip on their shoulder, and that attitude was then passed along.
My opinion: these are the folks who have found Trump. These are the ones who are okay with him being the ‘outlier’ because they feel the same way. They feel a camaraderie with him. They find it alright that he says mean things, because they have thought them too. They like that Trump is irreverent and that others don’t like him. They get how it feels to be unimportant and unwanted.
Trump appeals to them because the normal government never cared enough. They were lost in the cracks. Maybe they were poor but not poor enough for help. (How dare others get assistance!). They were unable to get a proper education – but they feel they turned out just fine, thank you very much. They have a personal strength in being disrespected. You know… it’s an “I’ll show them” attitude.
When Trump went down his golden escalator in his multi-million dollar Trump tower one of the first words out of his mouth was a put down of people who are coming to America. By saying that he immediately appealed to that group who felt ‘used’ for so long and who were tired of getting a raw deal.
The irony is not to be overlooked though. Right? Trump is a man who grew up in a family of privilege with a ton of money. He never knew what it was like to scrimp and to barely get by. His name preceded him everywhere he went and he was arrogant – and it was part of his presentation to the world. It may have even helped him get out of serving in the military – even though the military is a pathway for so many of his now followers. He has even talked against the military, yet his MAGA followers are proud veterans and support him. Yes. The irony.
Trump quickly learned (and maybe truly believes) that if you put groups down it makes his followers feel empowered. It was the first time in their lives they have felt heard. So, MAGA world was created. Others in the same unfortunate situation connected when they heard Trump. It became okay to be openly mean. It was okay to feel the way they do. Others did. And, Trump said it out loud, and they thought that was pretty cool.
That trip down the escalator was how many years ago. I think we are ten years or so into the non-stop “Trump style” politics and as the years have progressed he has continued on with more and more of the same. So much so that his MAGA followers will truly now follow him to the ends of the earth. Trump can say anything, mostly made up, and it doesn’t matter. Lies and lies. but it doesn’’t matter. As I have watched over the years, I see him get more outrageous. I often think to myself ‘he can’t go lower’ but yet he does. MAGA eats it up.
One more thing Trump has also done is inject doubt in to everything. Everything. And, you know this has probably been his most dangerous element. He has used his speeches and his tweets (until he was banned), and then his own social media, to tell his followers that everything else is a conspiracy theory. Everyone else is out to get him – which means they are out to get his followers. That riles them up.
Trump says the judicial system is out to get him. The FBI and the CIA. Judges are corrupt (except for his Supreme Court appointees of course.) Elections officials and election poll workers are out to get him. “The establishment” is all against him. And, the migrants are taking everyone’s jobs and killing people. They sneak across the border to come steal, and rape, and sell drugs. Some are even eating people’s pets.
MAGA believes it.
A perfect example of the doubt Trump has created is the way he has treated the media. He gives them no respect. He says that they ALL are extremely liberal, and he says they are never fair to him. (He loves to tout that he is never treated fairly.) He loves to have his people feel sorry for him when something bad is in the news about him. It has gotten to the point that MAGA thinks anything in the media is untrue, unless it comes from Fox, other conservative outlets, Truth Social, or X.
MAGA now only watches those same media sources.
Remember January 6th? MAGA and the Proud Boys and other conservative groups had listened to Trump over and over about the stolen election. Total lies. But it didn’t matter. Trump prodded them on. He sublimely encouraged violence and a Capitol building takeover. So they did it. There is NO QUESTION that Trump was behind the deadly actions of his followers. Misguided people, brought to a point of rage. Violence had become an act of allegiance.
As I write all this I wish, oh please oh please oh please, that Trump followers would wake up. But unfortunately I have seen over and over again that they are in too deep. They support Trump like he is their savior even though he never tells them HOW he plans to enact changes and improve their lives. He spews horrible rhetoric about so-called bad people, usually Mexicans, sometimes Haitians. Always Democrats because he thinks they are out to get him. He tells MAGA Democrats will destroy this country. Only he can save them!!
MAGA believes him.
One day historians and poly sci students will study Trump and this time in our American politics. They will wonder was Trump truly a mad man, able to control so many? They will rewatch his rally speeches. Pull up old Truth Social posts (in all caps.) Psychologists will teach what a narcissist can do when given too much power. Social Studies will outline how ‘normal’ people can be impacted by hearing what they want to hear with no concern of truth. Media will continue to question their place in news reporting, in fact checking, in manipulation of the masses. When I was in college as a student some of the questions were “Does the news report it – or do they make it?” “How can anyone be totally unobjectionable?” I learned the importance of fact checking and verifying with more than one source. News reporting then was a ‘service’ to Americans, not a business as it is now. Getting it right was the most important thing. It was never opinion. Editorials and opinion pieces were cleared stated as such.
Not anymore. MAGA has banded together under a false prophet. Loyalty beats out truth. Fear is their big instigator… fear of others, fear of losing money, fear of not being heard. Not being respected. Or appreciated. or valued.
I write this on October 1st, just a little over a month to Election Day.
MAGA people won’t change. So it is really important for those not caught up the in their movement to come out on November 5th and vote, and bring us back, away from Trump lies and conspiracy theories. We need to get back to rational thinking, and to leaders working with each other. We need to vote out any who do not seek to work toward a healthy democracy.
Marla’s Musings 