I’m a former devout Trump supporter, now dedicated to solving the problem of why millions continue to support MAGA. I want to hear how MAGA has affected you, and/or those you know.
How I Went from Ultra-MAGA to Never Trump and Never DeSantis
@fred_guttenberg
@HowardMortman
On 2/4/22, the Republican Party formally recognized an insurrection, and deadly attack on our Capitol, as “legitimate political discourse.” There is no coming back from the crossing of that line of demarcation.
@AdamKinzinger
@KristiNoem
For all the American fascination with power, we seem to rarely ask of candidates and elected officials: why does he/she want power? From 2015—22, I was a true believer MAGA American because I convinced myself that Trump sought power for good; for the right reasons, of leading
@shannonrwatts
Ah, the “good ol’ days”—that imaginary, make-believe, mythological American apogee of greatness and perfection, when the sole ruling class was affluent, Caucasian, heterosexual, Christian men. Everyone now better understand what “great again” means?
@AdamKinzinger
The Iranian attack on Israel got me thinking: After 9/11, Democrats (including elected officials) didn’t take to the press to blame former President George W. Bush for the terrorist attack. The only ones who blamed Bush were those who peddled the conspiracy theory that Bush, and
I’m a former MAGA activist. “Real Americans” was how we viewed ourselves, and everyone else (Democrats, RINOs, globalists) was the enemy. We were on the right side of history, and everyone else, the wrong side. I give thanks daily that I left the political trauma of MAGA.
Jordan talks about ‘Real America’ all the time. One day, can someone ask Jordan who is a “real American” and who is not a real American? Are we not real Americans if we disagree with Jim Jordan?
Thanks to all those who have proudly served our country in uniform, and the families who have served alongside them. We owe you so much—on Veterans Day, and every day.
@Dahlialithwick
Ah, “originalism”—that imaginary, make-believe, mythological legal doctrine that transports us all back to America’s apogee of greatness and perfection, when the sole ruling class was Caucasian, heterosexual, Christian men. Everyone now better understand what “great again” means?
@HeartlandSignal
As an ex-MAGA activist, now working to persuade others to leave MAGA: I was 100% certain this kind of rhetoric would increase in frequency as we approach Nov.
@j6prayingrandma
Ms. Lavrenz: I was a MAGA activist from 2015-22; like you, I believed I was on the good side, in an existential war v. the evil side. Though I don't know you, I believe it more likely, than not, that you possess a goodness and decency. You traveled to the Capitol on Jan. 6
In Sen. Hawley’s case, anyone can feign tough-guy heroism with the cameras rolling. In private, however, he ran for his life, from the monster he helped nurse and raise.
Sen. Hawley isn’t a hero; he’s a confidence man.
@BisforBerkshire
A tip line, for mythological, imaginary, make-believe threats, brought to you by an Ivy League-educated, Caucasian, heterosexual, gazillionaire man who sends his kids to a $50,000.00 a-year private school that teaches:
Wait for it:
Critical race theory.
@KaivanShroff
A tip line, for mythological, imaginary, make-believe threats, brought to you by an Ivy League-educated, Caucasian, heterosexual, gazillionaire man who sends his kids to a $50,000.00 a-year private school that teaches:
Wait for it:
Critical race theory.
@blprnt
@JoyAnnReid
Mr. Fierro deserves all the heroism accolades he has received. His bravery’s also a reminder that American civilian heroics now reflect right-wing murder/violence. No longer is heroism just rescuing a kitten in a tree or life-saving CPR; no, our new civilian heroism resembles war
@tribelaw
Ah, “originalism”—that imaginary, make-believe, mythological legal doctrine that transports us all back to America’s apogee of greatness and perfection, when the sole ruling class was Caucasian, heterosexual, Christian men. Everyone now better understand what “great again” means?
@JillDLawrence
@BulwarkOnline
As a Floridian, DeSantis—not Trump—was the catalyst of my departure from the MAGA world. Seemingly overnight, he transformed from ardently pro-vaccine to anti-vaccine. And he believes nothing that comes out of his mouth; he—like the GOP—accepts avoidable deaths and suffering.
@nhannahjones
Most (Whites) who tell others (Blacks) to "get over" something that happened decades ago, are the same who proudly rejoice in triumphs they had nothing to do with, from centuries ago. The contradiction isn't important; what's important (to Whites) is the mythology.
🧵1. The process of leaving MAGA was what I refer to as my Year of Heaven and Hell, commencing in Summer 2021, with Summer 2022 when I finally, and fully, left MAGA. I did not support the Jan. 6 riot, and in the six months following it, I always acknowledged my opposition to it.
@AymanM
"She's just a basketball player" underscores the seemingly-uniquely American habit of assigning worth to a human being based on (legal) livelihoods. And, anyway, 99.99% of Trump voters, during his Presidency, never paid 1 bit of attention to Americans unjustly imprisoned overseas
@RonFilipkowski
On 2/4/22, the Republican Party formally recognized an insurrection, and deadly attack on our Capitol, as “legitimate political discourse.” There is no coming back from the crossing of that line of demarcation.
@nhannahjones
I’ve read the “1619” essays and watched the two episodes. Never—not for a singular second—did I feel that I, as a Caucasian, was being blamed for systemic, anti-Black history; slavery; etc. The more vehement the impugning of “1619,” the more I know it’s historically necessary.
@AdamKinzinger
McConnell is 100% correct. What is so sad and disheartening about his statement, however, is: it shows that he---and many other GOP party leaders, nationwide---are capable of telling the truth.
Most GOP elected officials don't believe Trump won the 2020 election; don't believe
@Acyn
Hawley: another male, Caucasian, heterosexual Christian who believes America has been rapidly declining since her apogee of perfect greatness in the 1950s/60s, when the ruling class was Caucasian, heterosexual, Christian men. Everyone understand, now, what "great again" means?
@WalshFreedom
Byrd was never a KKK Grand Wizard; he was a member in his youth, renounced his membership, and, yes, had a mixed record on civil rights.
And Trump is still infinitely worse than was Byrd; anyone who thinks otherwise is in the thrall of GOP politically traumatizing mythologies.
@perrybaconjr
@staceyabrams
and GA Democrats deserve an immense amount of credit for their decade-plus—and continued—persistence in engaging citizens in democracy, knowing they’d lose races before winning. Building coalitions is difficult—but they’ve paid off in GA.
The GOP works fervently to suppress, revise, whitewash and rewrite history—especially pertaining to race— because it does not want the public to recognize the repetition of history in real-time.
Watching a screener of the movie “Till” in preparation for the show tomorrow. And I’m shaken all over again by the absolute state of terrorism that Black folks lived in, in the American South up to not very long along ago. Some things in U.S. history just shock the conscience.
The exploitation of the deceased—and the acceptance of avoidable deaths and suffering—were lines of demarcation I could not cross; refusal to cross the rubicon was why I left MAGA in 2022, after 7 years of supporting Trump and MAGA. My support was wrong.
@AdamKinzinger
I truly wish it were rare to see a woman (irrespective of politics) dismiss the fact that the Carroll case was about a man being found to have raped a woman.
But, alas, I lament its commonality amongst GOP women.
@espinsegall
@SIfill_
When I was a devout Trump supporter, I believed the “deep state/swamp” was persecuting Trump, and we supporters. When I left MAGA, however, I realized that Trump IS the deep state/swamp. He is the most-coddled criminal defendant in American history.
@AdamKinzinger
I believe most of us come to a defining line of demarcation in our lives; if we don’t cross it, we retain ownership of our soul; or, cross it, and lose said ownership. Rubicons aren’t always political in nature; but, in Ms. Mace’s case, it was. And she no longer owns her soul.
@AdamKinzinger
@HouseGOP
@SpeakerJohnson
GOP is willing to help Russia because it’s (but not all Republicans) MAGA; I know this because I was in MAGA when Russia invaded Ukraine. Hence why I believe an historic electoral repudiation of the GOP is coming in Nov.—& none should construe that statement as reason not to vote
@Heidi_Cuda
With gratitude to you,
@jimstewartson
and HiFi for caring about my difficult journey out of MAGA. I will tell this story until my final breath if it means persuading just 1 person to leave MAGA, and leave behind the trauma, desperation and panic of MAGA and right-wing mythologies
“Rigged/stolen/unsafe elections” are just more GOP-created hysteria, paranoia and political traumatization. DeSantis, GOP, etc., all know our elections are safe and secure. Those who peddle this traumatization are failed leaders, and voters need to ensure they do not hold office.
It should surprise no one that
@RonDeSantisFL
, after failing the people of Lee and neighboring counties by not pushing for an evacuation in time to save their lives & homes from hurricane Ian is now piecing through the map, making post-disaster voting easier ONLY for Republicans.
@AdamKinzinger
@KristiNoem
MAGA politician and punditry lies don’t start small, becoming, eventually, absurd and outlandish. I realized after I left MAGA that, essentially, every mythology I believed was the opposite of what I thought.
No, the MAGA lies’ *starting point* is absurd and outlandishish. From
Ms. Lavrenz: I was a MAGA activist from 2015-22; like you, I believed I was on the good side, in an existential war v. the evil side. Though I don't know you, I believe it more likely, than not, that you possess a goodness and decency. You traveled to the Capitol on Jan. 6
I am still in utter disbelief by Thursday’s verdict. Never in my life did I imagine my own government would charge me as a criminal for exercising my religious liberties and rights to free speech, which are guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. They are
@AdamKinzinger
And our national press breathlessly published articles without reading this transcript. National press has never recovered from the shock of missing support for Trump in 16; & its responses have been to be “tough” on the Democrats, while simultaneously yearning to save the GOP.
As an ex-MAGA activist, now working to persuade others to leave MAGA: I appreciate the opportunity
@Salon
@andohehir
to offer an, admittedly, unorthodox---but, I hope, instructional and challenging---attempt to offer some knowledge, and strategies on how to engage MAGA Americans.
@RonFilipkowski
The GOP wishes it had its own Nancy Pelosi. Republicans scorn Pelosi because the esteem she’s earned from others is genuine. GOP politicians—and McCarthy, especially—carry the weight of knowing that they aren’t even respected by most of their own voters.
@Porter_Anderson
@MelissaJPeltier
@MollyJongFast
I was a true believer MAGA American from 2015—22. I, and fellow MAGA compatriots, felt we were attacked when Trump was attacked; when he was impeached, we were impeached; etc.
The presidential election in November is near-literally life-or-death for Trump. The mythology of
Candidates who want to reduce access to voting know their ideas are favored by a minority number of voters. One of the more fascinating observations about the GOP is how the party consistently discourages its own voter turnout.
I’m going to defend here
@AdamKinzinger
. His decision to willfully leave office seems pretty “small government” to me. (Some guy named George Washington believed this.) Marc, if this principle is not one you believe in, my apologies for assuming so.
Based on your logic, Marc,
Oh please. You can’t make a difference if you’re not on the playing field. And maybe take the “Slava Ukraini” out of your bio because you did nothing to help get Ukraine aid passed.
@morgfair
@highbrow_nobrow
I was once deep in the MAGA cult; one of the reasons I left was the GOP's/MAGA's defense and justification of political violence, and coup, led by a sitting President, against the American people, our government and our Constitution.
@abbydphillip
If only Rep. Burchett sought federal/state solutions to the TN firearm mortality rate—amongst the highest in the nation—as zealously as he targeted Mr. Loudermill.
#LeavingMAGA
@LeavingMAGA
@Acyn
Thank you,
@AdamKinzinger
, for your service, and for exhibiting one of the non-negotiable traits of true, effective leadership: being honest, even at the risk of losing votes and relationships.
@AaronBlake
Let’s try this:
Gov. Hutchinson: thank you for your courage in holding to account MAGA, and former President Trump.
Since you clearly believe Mr. Trump is wholly unfit for office, our gratitude to you, for supporting President Biden’s re-election.
If I may: as an ex-MAGA activist, I’ve begun telling MAGA voters that a Trump-led retaliatory govt. will, likely, also adversely affect their lives, in 1 or more ways. Trump doesn’t care about Americans, including his supporters; it took leaving MAGA for me to understand this.
@OurShallowState
Serious, respectful question for those who are disappointed in Haley:
What was the basis for the expectation that she would not endorse Trump?
@KayHale70423322
Hi Kay, thank you for sharing. Might your son and/or daughter-in-law be open to speaking with me? My new org., Leaving MAGA, welcomes all those who left; or, are having doubts and remorse; to tell their stories. The aim is to empower others to leave MAGA. Thank you.
@tedcruz
Being a woman explains some of the decades-long GOP ire directed her way. But it runs deeper than that: the GOP scorns Ms. Pelosi because the esteem others hold her in is genuine; GOP politicians--and, most especially, Mr. Cruz---aren't even respected by most of their own voters.
@JoyAnnReid
Theocracy is an audacious form of dictatorship---one that perverts and adulterates faith and the freedom to worship; it is a murderous mockery of humanity and every person's worth.
@AdamKinzinger
NONE should construe what I’m saying as reason not to vote, but: as someone who was a devoted MAGA activist from 2015-22, I can attest to the fact that many (most?) MAGA Americans don’t factor electability into candidates they support.
@BlackKnight10k
I’ve noticed, lately, a re-emergence of COVID/COVID vaccine hysteria and paranoia from the GOP’s politically traumatizing mythologies machine. Guess inflation is over, and gas prices are no longer relevant.
@Acyn
Most DeSantis voters support him because he affirms their politically traumatized, mythological view that America and FL are at their greatest when the sole ruling class is property-owning/Caucasian/heterosexual/Christian. I once bought into some of these GOP mythologies.
When I was in MAGA, one of the most pervasively-adopted inaccurate mythologies was the "liberal media." When my doubts commenced, in the Summer of 2021, about supporting Trump and MAGA, my very first act was to diversify my news and information sources.
In MAGA, I only consumed
@RogerSimmons
DeSantis has reached the sunk-cost fallacy stage. He’s in so deep and wide in his unwarranted attacks on Disney, he can’t reverse course; he’ll see it through to its fiery end: a resounding win for Disney, and another opportunity for GOP primary voters to believe they’re victims.
@Heidi_Cuda
@ninaburleigh
@FixMediaNow
When I was in MAGA, Fox was part of a steady diet of traumatic political mythologies/media designed to keep me/us perpetually panicked and desperate. Ailes/Murdoch have politically traumatized more Americans than anyone else in U.S. (world?) media history.
@SymoneDSanders
Think about this, for a moment: for 8 years, every time
@BarackObama
was in a room of Republicans, he showed this kind of superhuman patience.
@ninaburleigh
@atrupar
@DecodingFoxNews
@mmfa
@BillKristol
@newrepublic
When I was in MAGA, Fox was part of a steady diet of traumatic political mythologies/media designed to keep me/us perpetually panicked and desperate. Ailes/Murdoch have politically traumatized more Americans than anyone else in U.S. (world?) media history.
@highbrow_nobrow
Atwater admitted, near the end of his life, that he didn't believe the traumatic political mythologies he utilized to make, & keep, GOP voters desperate & panicked. As an ex-MAGA activist, I realized few MAGA politicians/pundits believe what they say.
#LeavingMAGA
@LeavingMAGA
@shannonrwatts
If the people are the problems—and not the guns—then perhaps we, as a country, need to re-assess why the U.S. has more “problems” than any other developed nation.
@SpeakerPelosi
When I was in the Trump/GOP cult (no longer in it), even the politically traumatized Republicans I spent all my political time respected Speaker Pelosi; I think it was because of how bereft the GOP is of true, honest leaders. Thank you, Madam, for making our Union more perfect.
At the risk of hyperbolizing, 2024 will be a seminal year not only in American, but world, history. For better or worse, this political year will shape events and politics for generations to come. Need help getting registered to vote? I'm here to help, irrespective of your state.
@Acyn
@BarackObama
is to the GOP what the beating heart was to the narrator in, “The Tell-Tale Heart,”; like the narrator driven mad by the constantly-beating heart, the GOP cannot stop hearing, and seeing, Mr. Obama everywhere they look. The right’s record on breaking Obama: 0-15 yrs.
@AdamKinzinger
Yes, I wish I had made the decision to leave MAGA sooner than I did, in Summer 2022---after 7 years as a true believer MAGA American, who volunteered on Trump's 2016 and 20 campaigns. It took me an entire year to leave MAGA; my doubts commenced in Summer 2021.
One of the lines
@WalshFreedom
I’m in Gettysburg. Lincoln understood that, when history demands it, unlikely alliances must be formed to strengthen democracy and continue the work of perfecting our Union. I respect progressives’ policies differences with Pres. Biden, but I implore you to support him in 2024.
@ianbassin
McDaniel’s hiring is another exhibit of evidence that the national press has never recovered from the shock of 2016. Though I won’t say the national media wants Trump to win, it does want to be able to say, “we didn’t miss support for him this time,” if he does win.
#LeavingMAGA
As an ex-MAGA activist: this belief was Gospel for me, for years. When I left MAGA, I realized the “importation of illegals to vote Democrat” was a MAGA/right-wing mythology designed to traumatize, & keep desperate & panicked, GOP primary voters.
#LeavingMAGA
@LeavingMAGA
10. Our Mission Statement is:
Persuade people to leave MAGA. Empower those who leave to tell their stories, and guide them on how to converse with friends and families in MAGA. Develop movement leaders to help others leave.
@MeidasTouch
The admiration and respect for
@BarackObama
is genuine and real. Compare and contrast to most GOP politicians; if a Cruz, Cotton, Blackburn, McCarthy, McConnell, et al.—almost all of them—retired tomorrow, not one person would miss them.
@MichelleObama
@RonFilipkowski
As an ex-MAGA activist: the right-wing is in its sunk-cost fallacy; it's too deep in the methods & mythologies it's utilized to make millions of Americans desperate & panicked. We must engage those traumatized by MAGA/right-wing with education & empathy
#LeavingMAGA
@LeavingMAGA
Here's something I wrote, to help other Americans, hopefully, leave behind the political traumatization, and extreme partisanship, of Trump and the GOP.
When I made public, last yr., my remorse for supporting Trump/MAGA, I didn't think anyone would care. Thankfully, I was also wrong about that. Leaving MAGA has introduced me to extraordinary creators and activists, all dedicated to making more perfect our Union. I am thankful.
In my time as a true-believing MAGA American, from 2015-22, I believed the mythologies in this video. It took me an entire year to leave MAGA, in what I refer to as my Year of Heaven and Hell. Self-acknowledging that I was wrong was a painful---but liberating---decision. Most
@abbydphillip
I do not support, in general, undermining our judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. The fact, however, that there is even a remote concern that some Justices might side with Trump does validate some of the public’s skepticism toward the impartiality of Chief Justice
@hugolowell
@freethinkfacts
Only one of the following can be accurate:
1. Trump is lying about being blind-sided by the presence of his neo-Nazi dinner partner;
2. The Secret Service didn’t vet attendees, thereby leaving a former POTUS vulnerable to an assassination attempt.
My money is on no. 1.
@WalshFreedom
Did God say He chose flawed men to do His work in the same book in which He offered His reasoning for granting a right to open carry an AR-15 to the library, but overlooked slavery, gender discrimination and other actual tyrannies? Doesn’t sound like divine planning to me.
@MalloryMcMorrow
The admiration and respect for
@BarackObama
is genuine and real. Compare and contrast to most GOP politicians and candidates: if a Tudor Dixon, Cruz, Cotton, Blackburn, McCarthy, McConnell, et al.—almost all of them—retired tomorrow, not one person would miss them.
@MichelleObama