In recent memory, to name a few, podcaster Joe Rogan has compared ICE raids to a Gestapo operation; Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has questioned Trump’s cognitive abilities; Former U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed Trump has “gone crazy;” Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the president a “slave” to Israel; And conservative influencer Candace Owens claimed Trump belongs to the “Epstein class.”
Even Truth Social, the social media platform created by Trump as a haven for posting without comment, is facing backlash. “What!?! You’re way out of line,” a Truth Social account holder named KellyMAGA69 wrote in response to Trump’s recent criticism of Owens, Jones, Carlson and former Fox News host Megan Kelly as losers with “low IQs.” “Most of these people, especially Alex Jones, have been your first day!! You have to step back and pay attention who is whispering in your ear. Go back to America first!!”
This week, MAGA Christians have vented anger at Trump, which reached fever pitch on Monday when he posted an AI-generated photo that appears to depict himself as Jesus. Some MAGA people were outraged, with many prominent conservative pundits and influencers debating whether or not this meant Trump was the Antichrist.
Piling still continues. White nationalist Nick Fuentes, who has long broken ties with Trump, posted a long list of complaints on Twitter about the failures of the second Trump administration, including a “regime change war with Iran” and an “attack on the Catholic Church.”
Some MAGA conspiracy theorists are abandoning Trump, too. Instead of discussing whether the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump’s life was a deep-rooted conspiracy, some people are now debating whether it even happened. Former pro wrestler and former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura asked in an appearance on Piers Morgan’s show, “Where is his mark today?”
In what appears to be one of the biggest recent controversies in the Republican Party, it’s not entirely clear how much of the party is actually abandoning Trump — or whether the events and criticisms of the past few months are nothing more than a fluke. It seems the answer is a little bit of both.
MAGA, the most powerful American political movement in recent decades, is not just a political ideology; It’s akin to a cult of personality where supporters are generally willing to support Trump no matter what he says. And there are still many willing to defend him: Over the weekend, former adviser Steve Bannon compared Trump to former presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and claimed Trump would “return America to its greatness.” Others have also spoken in support.
But while key affiliates and outlets like Fox News have remained loyal to the president, the right-wing media ecosystem has fragmented in recent years. A new media landscape where celebrities like Carlson, Kelly and Owens have huge audiences, and where their voices reach millions of people on social media is no longer willing to defend Trump, no matter the cost.
As Dan Pfeiffer, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, writes in his latest newsletter, this is a big problem for the GOP, especially when it comes to voters who may waver on their support for Trump and the GOP in the midterms.
“For these voters, the fact that the criticism is coming from former Trump allies matters a lot,” Pfeifer writes. “When the criticism comes from someone with whom they share ideological commonality, it is far more likely to resonate. One clip of Tucker Carlson attacking Trump is more effective than a thousand clips of Gavin Newsom, Hakeem Jefferies. Pod Save America That’s what I’m saying.”
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