For years, Donald Trump was MAGA and MAGA was Donald Trump. But, even if he is defeated again on Tuesday, don’t expect his movement to go away.
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There have been many times when people in the US (including the dwindling number of decent Republicans) and in democracies across the globe have wondered whether Donald Trump and his brand of politics were done:
When he took on more competent Republicans in the 2016 primary, when he admitted to sexually assaulting women on camera, when Hillary Clinton seemed to have a comfortable lead, when he was impeached the first time, when his bungled COVID-19 response caused countless American deaths, when he lost the 2020 election, when he attempted a coup and failed, when his Big Lie caused the deadly attack on the Capitol, when he was impeached for the second time, when he was indicted four times for a wide range of crimes, when a jury found him guilty of sexual abuse, when he became a convicted felon, and when he got crushed in the presidential debate with Kamala Harris.
In fact, it would be fair for people to ask themselves that question every time Trump opens his mouth and a torrent of barely incoherent lies and hateful rhetoric spills out that shows he is a terrible human being with severe mental disorders and unfit to lead even a hotdog stand.
We are just a couple of days away from another such inflection point, so it may seem like a good time to ask: If he loses again, is that the end of Trumpism?
Sadly, the answer is a resounding “No.”
In less than a decade, Trump has poisoned his party (along with the minds of tens of millions of Americans). The GOP now unquestioningly does his bidding, and the former president’s supporters will believe him even in the face of incontrovertible facts and irrefutable realities.
It’s the kind of stuff Americans used to only know from history books, regarding events about which most of them probably thought: This could never happen here.
Well, it could… and it has. Trump has led the country to the doorstep of fascism.
Yes, a victory for Kamala Harris would offer it a reprieve (if the system holds up well enough to keep the former president from stealing this election), but his movement is here to stay.
Trump has said that, should he lose, he would not run again. That may be true or not. After all, he lies about pretty much everything else. And, of course, he would have to acknowledge that he lost, which isn’t going to happen.
But let’s say for the sake of argument that he admits defeat. Even then, Trumpism will be alive and well.
There was a time when people thought that only he could pull this off, that whatever freakish spell Trump held over Republicans was unique to him and could not be replicated. And, initially, that was probably true.
With a conjured resume of success, a brusque style, unapologetic xenophobia, and the willingness to burn the system to the ground, Trump appealed to all of those people in the country who were angry and/or scared.
Angry at seeing “others” being treated “better,” which often just meant no longer being able to rely on past unearned privileges. Angry at knowing that the American Dream would be out of reach for them. Scared that the “others” would rise in influence and power and then turn the tables on those who had kept them down.
It makes sense that this was a receptive audience for a snake oil salesman like Trump, and for his vague promises of a return to an unspecified time of greatness.
Having an entire propaganda apparatus in place to stoke fear of immigrant caravans, blood-drinking child traffickers, government goon squads intent on quelling dissent, and rising crime helped sell that message. Now, however, the movement no longer relies on the former president.
Because that “spell” he cast was nothing magical. Instead, it is simply a recipe for tapping into the xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and nationalism of Americans… and there is plenty of that to go around.
Oh, and don’t bother developing coherent policy positions or telling the truth. That’s not necessary.
In other words, Trump has drawn a roadmap that others can now follow. The problem is that, once you take the initial steps, there is no turning back.
For a shot at power, the GOP traded integrity, rationality, compassion, truth, and many of its stated ideals. Republicans have firmly hitched their wagon to Trump and his lock-step-marching cult, and in doing so they embarked on a path of no return.
Even if the former president were to ultimately lose, he is guaranteed to stay in the headlines for months, first with his claims that the election was stolen and then with the resumption of his criminal trials.
In both of these roles, he would serve as a martyr for all of those people who don’t question his lies.
And, for the first time, there are others who can fill that political void.
In the past, that wouldn’t have worked because some of the likely candidates to assume his mantle were past rivals of Trump, like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Sure, they had wormed their way back into his good graces, but MAGA supporters like alphas, not weasels.
Now, however, a new group has emerged: young Republicans whose loyalty to the former president is unquestioned.
That list includes vice presidential running mate JD Vance. Sure, one can make the case that he used to be a fierce critic of Trump, but he didn’t run against him, and, by picking Vance as his running mate, the former president has absolved the Ohio senator of these sins.
Then there is Vivek Ramaswamy, whose entire presidential run was just about positioning himself as a MAGA star of the future, and some House Republicans like Reps. Jim Jordan (OH) or Matt Gaetz (FL) — or perhaps one of the former president’s sons. All of them have adopted Trump’s “no holds barred” attitude with a disregard for the truth.
And then, of course, there is new GOP kingmaker Elon Musk, who will play a hugely important role in choosing Trump’s political heir. After purchasing himself a $44-billion bullhorn two years ago and becoming the world’s greatest nongovernmental spreader of misinformation, he seems to have developed a taste for politics.
Fortunately, the Constitution prevents him from running, which is a relief. The country really doesn’t need another self-promoting, lying, right-wing billionaire at the helm. However, if any of the above can get Musk on his side, he will be the favorite to be the next Republican nominee.
In the meantime, all of them will emulate what Trump does best: sow division, foster a victim mentality, lie relentlessly, undermine the country’s elected leaders, and erode confidence in its institutions.
So, if you think that a Trump loss on Tuesday (or whenever the election is actually decided) puts an end to the MAGA menace, think again. It has festered too long now to be ended with one fell swoop.
That being said, defeating the former president on Tuesday is the crucial first step to ridding the country of this cancer.
