Voices within MAGA who are refusing to tow the 47 regime line on the Epstein files are creating conditions that enable information unrelated to the Epstein story that the MAGA cult has been hellbent on denying to actually get absorbed. I am beginning to have a spark of hope that the Epstein "rift" may be kicking off a snowball effect that will break the MAGA cult spell in ways that go far beyond the Epstein split.
I think there are people in the cult who have been silencing the nagging voices of doubt about the 47 regime because they have invested too many years of their lives, and too much of their identity, in their status as loyal "members." As a member of the cult, seeing other cult members "stepping out of line" makes it possible for a person to let those doubts really gain a foothold.
I also think the protests happening everywhere are chipping away. There are areas where people are part of the cult because they believe "everyone" in their orbit is MAGA. It's normalized. Whatever doubts they may have, we are all social creatures who fear ostracization. Gatherings of 47 opponents in red counties is reported on the local news. Clearly, not "everyone" is on board. And so there are more cracks.
If the spell is breaking for some, I think the best thing we can do is extend a little grace. Here's some food for thought on understanding the cult and some closing advice from Jayne Converse in this short 5 min video:
....Shame is too powerful, so they double-down, like trump does. Some trump supporters know deep down they've been conned. They've seen the cruelty, the corruption, the chaos, but they've already invested years of their indentity into defending him. To walk away now would mean confronting shame, losing their community, admitting they were wrong. And that is terrifying to them. So instead, they dig in deeper...
Not everyone in that cult is unreachable. Some are too far gone. Some are on the edge. Quiet. Doubting. Hurting. We don't get them back with facts. We get them back by offering something Trump never will: real community, real care, and real solutions... Offer people a way out that doesn't begin with shame, but with dignity... This fight isn't just about defeating Trump. It's about breaking the spell and building something better in its place.
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