Among the tens of millions of Americans who find Donald Trump abhorrent, a grave threat to our nation’s future, and a purveyor of divisiveness and deceit, the question looms: what to make of the other millions who support him, often with something akin to religious fervor?
We understand there have been people impersonating Dan and me in the comments. We have reported them to Substack and have banned the accounts. Substack is working on a technical solution to this problem going forward. In the meantime, we are going to close the comments to nonpaying members for protective purposes. We apologize for the inconvenience and will reopen them once the matter is better resolved.
I am glad you posted this. I got an email from you actually the other day, to contact you on telegram, an app I haven't used in a couple of years and it struck me odd. I still have the email, I just never responded to the request to look you up on Telegram, it just seemed odd, that you couldn't address what you wanted in an email, and that I had to go to a Telegram account. Thanks again for posting this.
Grrrrrr!!!! I wish folks would use their technology skills for positive innovation instead of hacking into & hiding behind the accounts of those who dare to disagree with their madness! COWARDS!!
Thank you! I didn’t respond, but kept looking at the comment supposedly from Dan and was 99% sure it was a scam yet didn’t delete the email I received just in case it wasn’t.
There is a second issue you may not have considered. As a paid subscriber, I received the “message” in my private email to respond to Dan at his email with address attached regarding “the 500” at about 17:00 hours EDT 07/11/2023.
I trashed the email and deleted trash. I am frightened by these intrusions. Do not recall replying to this newsletter at all, trying to avoid being hacked. 🧐🙄
That’s how I got the supposed comment from “Dan.” Never showed up as a comment on my comment, but did come to my personal email. I’ve had the email account so long, I’m sure it is out on the dark web, but I keep changing the passwords to keep it as safe as I can.
Fantastic article, including quotes from the link, which I also read. I am sharing this as widely as I can. It is the most cogent analysis of MAGA I have read. It helps explain the "spirited argument" I had at dinner the other night with what I thought was an educated retired man. HE WAS THE MOST ABSOLUTE TRUMPSTER I have ever personally. met. He just lost his long time girl friend thru an accident,
that may explain his zeal in remaining a part of the MAGA community no matter what Trump is convicted of.
Hi Everyone. I take a slightly different view of the Americans who have signed up to MAGA. I will do my best to explain here in this post. Back in the day (60's and 70's) of my earlier life I was a blue collar laborer until I joined the Navy at age 25. I was part of the working blue collar lower/middle class in the upper Midwest. Throughout those days I lived around antisemitic, misogynistic, divisional, prejudicial, and white supremacy people. Welcome to some but not all of my family and friends. At the time, everyone I knew was a Republican, including myself. Our blue collar lower to upper middle class workforce was gutted through off shoring. Wall Street and primary investors before "us." Since the 1980's there has been a long slow bleed of blue collar work that paid enough to live a comfortable life. The people who were stuck in the middle of this job losing era are still here today. Over the decades these people survived the rich getting richer and then "everyone else." Taxes increased, jobs lost, increased cost of living, cultures swept away, and families in crisis. From my perspective, these millions of people became disillusioned, angry, lost in direction to the value of our country, and were looking for something or someone different in Washington D.C. Along comes Donald Trump. Donald Trump and his colleagues connected with the gutted masses (lower to middle income people) and gave them someone new to cheer about and follow. An open microphone for a man who spoke their language, us vs. them (the rich and everyone else).
I left the upper Midwest when I joined the Navy. I only returned to this blue collar jobless region to visit family and friends. The Navy allowed me to experience many other countries and cultures. an eye opener in societal education!! Post my Navy tenure I graduated with a B.S. degree in Engineering and an M.S. too. The Navy and education pulled me out of poverty level thinking and living. For me, the Navy and education was my ticket to a financially secure life and future. I then went to work in corporate America and paid my fair share of taxes, purchased a home, raised a well educated family and became the family patriarch. I do believe that if I hadn't changed my life through enlisting and getting further educated, I would happily attend MAGA movement rallies today. Birds of a feather flock together.
However, I am not the person I used to be. I think critically before making decisions. I show and give respect to all people. I am a patriot to democracy, and I don't excessively admire or devote myself to any single individual. Because of Trumps autocratic, misogynistic ways, and complete disrespect towards humankind, I am no longer a Republican. I am now an independent. When I enlisted I willingly put my life on the line for American democracy (not autocracy, theocracy, or totalitarianism), including protecting all citizens of our great country. When people say "thank you for your service," I say "thank you, you were worth it." So, for the MAGA people out there I believe I understand your grievances, your position with desiring change in Washington D.C. and following Mr. Trump. for those individuals who are not MAGA people, I here you, feel you, and understand the value of Democracy over Autocracy. "You Are the CEO of Your Life." Quote taken from my book Slaughterhouse Rules.
It figures! When a proven professional writer who is highly respected puts together a column for the purpose of enlightenment & to bring smiles to an invited audience (of like minds), persons with negative views want to spew their ugly remarks on the free comment section because they’ve GOT to be heard, it messes up the purpose of the column! It also discourages folks with good purpose to write a comment (so as not to get harassed).
I’ve been saying, “I just don’t get it!” about the MAGA monsters since this whole nightmare began. Thank you for providing a peek into their mindset. I still don’t get it, their fervor is frightening, and their “fun” could destroy this country that I love!
My 2016 tRump experience and observations in three small-town Washington state posts:
-- POST #1 --
May 7, 2016 . . . My Day: Getting a late start to the Lynden, WA, Trump protest, I waded through 3.5 hours of traffic (1.5 hours extra from Seattle to Marysville) and ended up trailing the caravan from Bellingham airport to the NW Washington Fairgrounds. At Lynden the 5,000 supporters had entered and hundreds of protesters still lined the main street; closed to all traffic. Trump never saw them, since he chose to enter through the back gates. Of two main roads into Lynden, the caravan avoided the option blocked by pro-Salish tribal people with their cross-ways cars and chaining themselves to each other; again Trump never saw it. Having heard his Spokane speech on the trip up, I now tuned the radio to the Lynden speech beyond the fence, observing the few fans who hung out at the back entrance (away from the protesters). Hearing nearly the same anti-THOSE-PEOPLE, THEY-are-your-problem rants, and snotty cuts at any political person who isn’t named Donald Trump, I chose to go shopping using my Rite-Aid coupon on its last day. Then, speech over, I headed back to my car to avoid the traffic jam and stopped for an airport AM/PM hotdog and soda to see the caravan pass by to the waiting T-plane. As the caravan passed, Trump waved to me. ONE WORD = FAIL.
-- POST #2 --
Curt Pavola = I had even thought through my crossed-arm, stern-look protest stance earlier in the day, but after the hotdog and Pepsi...I forgot to be grumpy! . . . . Additional Comments on FB…. . My Takeaways. Besides the young conservative christian families I saw, I saw mostly battered-appearing older white guys (and some older women). Not a widely diverse crowd. The protesters were largely Latino of all ages, some Native Americans, and then of course college-aged folks. I talked to one older (not too battered) union Democrat who said he is voting for Trump because he’s a good entertainer; and when I said "he’s ONLY an entertainer," he readily agreed with a big smile; ‘nuff said. So what does Trump say? It is the equivalent of verbal scrambled eggs heavily laced with insults, demeaning comments about anyone non-white or non-Trump, and so grossly, gratuitously stroking his older, bitter, “left-behind” white audience…and they are pleased to hear it. So sad. If I find the Spokane or Lynden speech text I’ll post it here; I suspect it will hurt to read it. .
-- POST #3 --
Now safely home, a few more thoughts: 1) I forgot how interesting it is to stalk presidential candidates in motorcades…it has been many years for me; 2) The machinery of protection for whoever the voters say is “the important person” is very professional, comprehensive and yet not “police-statey” in any radical way; I saw dozens of State Patrol, dozens of county sheriff deputies, dozens of city cops from all local jurisdictions (and the Lummi Tribe and the City of Seattle bike cops) and car-loads of Secret Service, all protecting a divisive blowhard who happens to have been chosen as “the important person” by one of our two political parties, and thus "the voters get what we deserve,” and that person WILL BE PROTECTED; 3) Perhaps, maybe, possibly the strong newspaper-comments made by our governor and a not-insignificant union leader kept Trump away from Seattle and limited him to small-city-Spokane and rural-Lynden, yet I never saw a professionally organized opposition today, although I admit I didn’t wade into the main gate area of the fairgrounds….because Trump also never saw that side of the huge venue (they wisely snuck him in the back); 4) Largely because of the podunk venue and the stupid hilarity of State Senator Don Benton (soon to be a retired senator and also fired by Clark County from his inappropriately granted day job) introducing The Donald with awkward crowd silence, I got a strong sense that this campaign is exactly representative of about 15% of the population….an angry, older crowd and also those who used to feel the party was “theirs” = christian conservatives... and that’s all there is, folks.
I was an Army Brat, and I spent much of my youth, pre-1959, in The South. Then I was in the Army, 1959-62, and again, much of it was in the South. I typically encountered a deeply divided, racist, and largely ignorant white populace off my military base. Today, I cannot forgive the typical MAGA Southerner for his ignorance, divisiveness, and gullibility. Trump is a disaster as a human being: corrupt, dishonest, racist, misogynistic, and utterly narcissistic and self-centered. If a Southern voter cannot see this (or is unwilling to do so), I have no forgiveness in my heart nor in my mind! Trump threatens the very fabric of our nation and our democracy.
Eb Engelmann, I too am an Army Brat. My father was career Army, my oldest sister & her husband served in the Army & my youngest sister & her husband served in the Air Force. Many other relatives & close friends also served in the military. I'll admit that being a family of color back then especially the late 1950's & 60's was sometimes difficultwhen we traveled for vacations, family trips, etc. Fortunately when we were living on post, we didn't encounter those issues. Our Dad played football for the Army so, of course we encountered prejudice and racism when our family traveled to his away games. We could only stay in certain hotels, eat at certain restaurants, etc. Fortunately, my sisters & I were blissfully shielded from racism by our parents. Anyway, I appreciate your post!
Thank you for the feedback. I am now in the Pacific Northwest, but I cannot forget those days. We are making progress, but it's two steps forward and one back! You simply cannot legislate away peoples' prejudices. And even legislation is uneven and sometimes very flawed, at best.
Critical thinking skills don't matter to MAGA folks because separating Trump's bombastic lies from the truth doesn't matter to them. Truth is what makes them feel good. There is one question that seems to stump them - how do you reconcile teaching your children not to lie and respect others with your support for someone incapable of telling the truth or respecting someone other than himself?
I prefer to refer to the Cult 45 zombies as "MAGAts" - rhymes with "maggots" and with good reason: They are eating away at the flesh of our democracy from within.
It is a circus for some, entertainment for others and a deliberate coldly calculated action by many. The fascists in Germany organized gatherings on a grand scale with carefully contrived theatrics to enhance the sense of belonging. And hiw many participants are paid in cash to be there?
You’re right about the social function of MAGA and the fun these folks have. I doubt they could articulate much of what Trump actually stands for so I also doubt they understand the threat he poses.
Sorry, but I can not believe the MAGA followers as being “Ignorant” of their HARM to others??? It’s impossible to RANT on for hours about other people as “Less than”-whether speaking of women, race, or religion or even politics, and not catch on to the harm caused. Who believes this is OK????
We understand there have been people impersonating Dan and me in the comments. We have reported them to Substack and have banned the accounts. Substack is working on a technical solution to this problem going forward. In the meantime, we are going to close the comments to nonpaying members for protective purposes. We apologize for the inconvenience and will reopen them once the matter is better resolved.
I am glad you posted this. I got an email from you actually the other day, to contact you on telegram, an app I haven't used in a couple of years and it struck me odd. I still have the email, I just never responded to the request to look you up on Telegram, it just seemed odd, that you couldn't address what you wanted in an email, and that I had to go to a Telegram account. Thanks again for posting this.
Grrrrrr!!!! I wish folks would use their technology skills for positive innovation instead of hacking into & hiding behind the accounts of those who dare to disagree with their madness! COWARDS!!
Glad that the problem is being addressed!
Thank you! I didn’t respond, but kept looking at the comment supposedly from Dan and was 99% sure it was a scam yet didn’t delete the email I received just in case it wasn’t.
There is a second issue you may not have considered. As a paid subscriber, I received the “message” in my private email to respond to Dan at his email with address attached regarding “the 500” at about 17:00 hours EDT 07/11/2023.
I trashed the email and deleted trash. I am frightened by these intrusions. Do not recall replying to this newsletter at all, trying to avoid being hacked. 🧐🙄
That’s how I got the supposed comment from “Dan.” Never showed up as a comment on my comment, but did come to my personal email. I’ve had the email account so long, I’m sure it is out on the dark web, but I keep changing the passwords to keep it as safe as I can.
this is the most insightful analysis of the appeal of the MAGA phenominon I have read,
Fantastic article, including quotes from the link, which I also read. I am sharing this as widely as I can. It is the most cogent analysis of MAGA I have read. It helps explain the "spirited argument" I had at dinner the other night with what I thought was an educated retired man. HE WAS THE MOST ABSOLUTE TRUMPSTER I have ever personally. met. He just lost his long time girl friend thru an accident,
that may explain his zeal in remaining a part of the MAGA community no matter what Trump is convicted of.
Hi Everyone. I take a slightly different view of the Americans who have signed up to MAGA. I will do my best to explain here in this post. Back in the day (60's and 70's) of my earlier life I was a blue collar laborer until I joined the Navy at age 25. I was part of the working blue collar lower/middle class in the upper Midwest. Throughout those days I lived around antisemitic, misogynistic, divisional, prejudicial, and white supremacy people. Welcome to some but not all of my family and friends. At the time, everyone I knew was a Republican, including myself. Our blue collar lower to upper middle class workforce was gutted through off shoring. Wall Street and primary investors before "us." Since the 1980's there has been a long slow bleed of blue collar work that paid enough to live a comfortable life. The people who were stuck in the middle of this job losing era are still here today. Over the decades these people survived the rich getting richer and then "everyone else." Taxes increased, jobs lost, increased cost of living, cultures swept away, and families in crisis. From my perspective, these millions of people became disillusioned, angry, lost in direction to the value of our country, and were looking for something or someone different in Washington D.C. Along comes Donald Trump. Donald Trump and his colleagues connected with the gutted masses (lower to middle income people) and gave them someone new to cheer about and follow. An open microphone for a man who spoke their language, us vs. them (the rich and everyone else).
I left the upper Midwest when I joined the Navy. I only returned to this blue collar jobless region to visit family and friends. The Navy allowed me to experience many other countries and cultures. an eye opener in societal education!! Post my Navy tenure I graduated with a B.S. degree in Engineering and an M.S. too. The Navy and education pulled me out of poverty level thinking and living. For me, the Navy and education was my ticket to a financially secure life and future. I then went to work in corporate America and paid my fair share of taxes, purchased a home, raised a well educated family and became the family patriarch. I do believe that if I hadn't changed my life through enlisting and getting further educated, I would happily attend MAGA movement rallies today. Birds of a feather flock together.
However, I am not the person I used to be. I think critically before making decisions. I show and give respect to all people. I am a patriot to democracy, and I don't excessively admire or devote myself to any single individual. Because of Trumps autocratic, misogynistic ways, and complete disrespect towards humankind, I am no longer a Republican. I am now an independent. When I enlisted I willingly put my life on the line for American democracy (not autocracy, theocracy, or totalitarianism), including protecting all citizens of our great country. When people say "thank you for your service," I say "thank you, you were worth it." So, for the MAGA people out there I believe I understand your grievances, your position with desiring change in Washington D.C. and following Mr. Trump. for those individuals who are not MAGA people, I here you, feel you, and understand the value of Democracy over Autocracy. "You Are the CEO of Your Life." Quote taken from my book Slaughterhouse Rules.
excellent article; I needed to hear such an upbeat & never-woulda-thunk-it analysis of the MAGAs
It figures! When a proven professional writer who is highly respected puts together a column for the purpose of enlightenment & to bring smiles to an invited audience (of like minds), persons with negative views want to spew their ugly remarks on the free comment section because they’ve GOT to be heard, it messes up the purpose of the column! It also discourages folks with good purpose to write a comment (so as not to get harassed).
So glad ‘Steady’ is working on a solution!!
I’ve been saying, “I just don’t get it!” about the MAGA monsters since this whole nightmare began. Thank you for providing a peek into their mindset. I still don’t get it, their fervor is frightening, and their “fun” could destroy this country that I love!
My 2016 tRump experience and observations in three small-town Washington state posts:
-- POST #1 --
May 7, 2016 . . . My Day: Getting a late start to the Lynden, WA, Trump protest, I waded through 3.5 hours of traffic (1.5 hours extra from Seattle to Marysville) and ended up trailing the caravan from Bellingham airport to the NW Washington Fairgrounds. At Lynden the 5,000 supporters had entered and hundreds of protesters still lined the main street; closed to all traffic. Trump never saw them, since he chose to enter through the back gates. Of two main roads into Lynden, the caravan avoided the option blocked by pro-Salish tribal people with their cross-ways cars and chaining themselves to each other; again Trump never saw it. Having heard his Spokane speech on the trip up, I now tuned the radio to the Lynden speech beyond the fence, observing the few fans who hung out at the back entrance (away from the protesters). Hearing nearly the same anti-THOSE-PEOPLE, THEY-are-your-problem rants, and snotty cuts at any political person who isn’t named Donald Trump, I chose to go shopping using my Rite-Aid coupon on its last day. Then, speech over, I headed back to my car to avoid the traffic jam and stopped for an airport AM/PM hotdog and soda to see the caravan pass by to the waiting T-plane. As the caravan passed, Trump waved to me. ONE WORD = FAIL.
-- POST #2 --
Curt Pavola = I had even thought through my crossed-arm, stern-look protest stance earlier in the day, but after the hotdog and Pepsi...I forgot to be grumpy! . . . . Additional Comments on FB…. . My Takeaways. Besides the young conservative christian families I saw, I saw mostly battered-appearing older white guys (and some older women). Not a widely diverse crowd. The protesters were largely Latino of all ages, some Native Americans, and then of course college-aged folks. I talked to one older (not too battered) union Democrat who said he is voting for Trump because he’s a good entertainer; and when I said "he’s ONLY an entertainer," he readily agreed with a big smile; ‘nuff said. So what does Trump say? It is the equivalent of verbal scrambled eggs heavily laced with insults, demeaning comments about anyone non-white or non-Trump, and so grossly, gratuitously stroking his older, bitter, “left-behind” white audience…and they are pleased to hear it. So sad. If I find the Spokane or Lynden speech text I’ll post it here; I suspect it will hurt to read it. .
-- POST #3 --
Now safely home, a few more thoughts: 1) I forgot how interesting it is to stalk presidential candidates in motorcades…it has been many years for me; 2) The machinery of protection for whoever the voters say is “the important person” is very professional, comprehensive and yet not “police-statey” in any radical way; I saw dozens of State Patrol, dozens of county sheriff deputies, dozens of city cops from all local jurisdictions (and the Lummi Tribe and the City of Seattle bike cops) and car-loads of Secret Service, all protecting a divisive blowhard who happens to have been chosen as “the important person” by one of our two political parties, and thus "the voters get what we deserve,” and that person WILL BE PROTECTED; 3) Perhaps, maybe, possibly the strong newspaper-comments made by our governor and a not-insignificant union leader kept Trump away from Seattle and limited him to small-city-Spokane and rural-Lynden, yet I never saw a professionally organized opposition today, although I admit I didn’t wade into the main gate area of the fairgrounds….because Trump also never saw that side of the huge venue (they wisely snuck him in the back); 4) Largely because of the podunk venue and the stupid hilarity of State Senator Don Benton (soon to be a retired senator and also fired by Clark County from his inappropriately granted day job) introducing The Donald with awkward crowd silence, I got a strong sense that this campaign is exactly representative of about 15% of the population….an angry, older crowd and also those who used to feel the party was “theirs” = christian conservatives... and that’s all there is, folks.
I was an Army Brat, and I spent much of my youth, pre-1959, in The South. Then I was in the Army, 1959-62, and again, much of it was in the South. I typically encountered a deeply divided, racist, and largely ignorant white populace off my military base. Today, I cannot forgive the typical MAGA Southerner for his ignorance, divisiveness, and gullibility. Trump is a disaster as a human being: corrupt, dishonest, racist, misogynistic, and utterly narcissistic and self-centered. If a Southern voter cannot see this (or is unwilling to do so), I have no forgiveness in my heart nor in my mind! Trump threatens the very fabric of our nation and our democracy.
Eb Engelmann, I too am an Army Brat. My father was career Army, my oldest sister & her husband served in the Army & my youngest sister & her husband served in the Air Force. Many other relatives & close friends also served in the military. I'll admit that being a family of color back then especially the late 1950's & 60's was sometimes difficultwhen we traveled for vacations, family trips, etc. Fortunately when we were living on post, we didn't encounter those issues. Our Dad played football for the Army so, of course we encountered prejudice and racism when our family traveled to his away games. We could only stay in certain hotels, eat at certain restaurants, etc. Fortunately, my sisters & I were blissfully shielded from racism by our parents. Anyway, I appreciate your post!
Thank you for the feedback. I am now in the Pacific Northwest, but I cannot forget those days. We are making progress, but it's two steps forward and one back! You simply cannot legislate away peoples' prejudices. And even legislation is uneven and sometimes very flawed, at best.
Sad but very true.......
Critical thinking skills don't matter to MAGA folks because separating Trump's bombastic lies from the truth doesn't matter to them. Truth is what makes them feel good. There is one question that seems to stump them - how do you reconcile teaching your children not to lie and respect others with your support for someone incapable of telling the truth or respecting someone other than himself?
I prefer to refer to the Cult 45 zombies as "MAGAts" - rhymes with "maggots" and with good reason: They are eating away at the flesh of our democracy from within.
So do I, for that exact reason, Ed.
It is a circus for some, entertainment for others and a deliberate coldly calculated action by many. The fascists in Germany organized gatherings on a grand scale with carefully contrived theatrics to enhance the sense of belonging. And hiw many participants are paid in cash to be there?
This makes so much sense and helps me finally understand how these people think. Thank you so much!
"He who shall not be named" and his followers are terrifying. I pray that they do not end up in control of our government ever again.
Well they are now in control of the courts and praying won't resolve that awful current reality. Who still believes in justice in America now?
You’re right about the social function of MAGA and the fun these folks have. I doubt they could articulate much of what Trump actually stands for so I also doubt they understand the threat he poses.
Sorry, but I can not believe the MAGA followers as being “Ignorant” of their HARM to others??? It’s impossible to RANT on for hours about other people as “Less than”-whether speaking of women, race, or religion or even politics, and not catch on to the harm caused. Who believes this is OK????