Are MAGA folks bad human beings? It’s a question most Democrats and other left-of-center people have probably asked themselves. Well, are they? Part of me says maybe, especially when I think of the varying levels of racism so many of them carry, but the more reflective part of me says, I don’t think so, that it’s more complicated than that. Trump has seized upon their weaknesses like a used-car salesman sensing an opening. The simple, but false, things he tells them repeatedly play upon their fears and prejudices and are designed to pull them deeper into the fold. Mostly, he preys upon their resentments — of many things, but mainly of Democrats and those of us left-of-center. In this, Trump has succeeded.
This is a tough situation. We need MAGA folks — even those deeply entrenched — to see reason, to see Trump for what he truly is, but they are so anti-us that it blinds them to the reality of what Trump is doing to our country both domestically and on the world stage.
But why do they resent us so much? Figuring that out is the first step in fixing the entire mess with Trump and Trumpism. I believe it is a weird inferiority complex at scale. They look at educated people and think we look down on them for their relative lack of education. To them, we are the “snooty, wussy libs who think they are better than us.” Of course, millions of Trump supporters ARE educated, but my focus here is on the ones who aren’t. Many of my Democrat friends say, “Oh don’t try to reach THOSE people (the poorly educated MAGA), they’re a lost cause, so buried into the MAGA muck that you’ll never get to them.” Lately, I’m questioning that.
Yes, the MAGA mindset is deeply entrenched, and true, many ARE unreachable. But I think they’re mostly full of resentment, which can lessen over time. Trump eggs them on to hate us, by driving the wedge deeper whenever he gets the chance, subtly and overtly plucking their strings of patriotism and prejudice while telling them that we are ruining the country. That’s why some recent polls show they not just tolerate but actually PREFER authoritarian rule. But do they really? Even if that rule runs against their interests and livelihood? Sure, in the short run, it might feel good to “punish” us libs. But in the long run, I think they are better than that.
I keep coming back to the thought that people are fundamentally good, flawed for sure, but good. They just want to be respected. And that’s where the irony lies.
You see, what they don’t understand is we DO respect them — immensely. Most decent, well-educated Democrats I know look in awe at the skill of people who are craftsmen, tradespeople, and people who otherwise work with their hands, and wish they could have half their talent. It is respect. But somehow they, MAGA, don’t hear it or feel it. I know that I’m generalizing here, but you get my point. We are so divided that we avoid each other. We never talk to “the other.” The problem is the lack of good interpersonal communication across the social spectrum. We are siloed by social media and the people we work with and communicate with regularly. As children in school, we loved and respected each other, but somehow as we grow we are trained to separate and see our team or tribe as “good” and the other as “bad.” It is unfortunate. It is a sad thing for our society. And when someone feels looked down upon, as I believe MAGA people do, they will feel extreme resentment. It is something that has festered for far too long in our society, and it must be addressed. But Democrats, in your messaging, please don’t patronize them with this. Just strive to let them know you see them as decent, intelligent human beings who love their families and country the same as you do.
Stephen Covey of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People fame, often said that his habit #5 was the most powerful: “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” The reason it’s the most powerful is because it is grounded in respect. When you show another human respect they will usually return it as long as they believe you are sincere. So if you’re just trying to fake it as a manipulative tactic, they’ll see right through you. Be sincere, be authentic, and watch the beauty of human interaction play out.
So that’s why when I’m on Twitter or Bluesky and someone posts a story about a MAGA person getting burned by the reality of Trump’s bad policies or DOGE running wild and illegally and it’s hurting them, for example, like the Nebraska farmers who voted for Trump but are now going bankrupt because the markets for their corn are drying up and the workers, fearing ICE raids have scattered, I tell them this: While it is SO tempting to scream FAFO in their face, spike the football, and not feel sorry for them, the smarter thing is to listen to them with empathy and welcome them back into the world of reason without humiliating them or disrespecting them. They will not only appreciate you for that, they will become a louder critic of Trump than any of us. We all make mistakes and most of us at one time or another have been fooled by people trying to con us.
In the end, respect wins, and so does the truth.