Its most prominent defectors include Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene, but with President Donald Trump's approval rating plummeting, more are calling themselves former members of the MAGA movement.
There are so many that a support group has formed.
Ex-MAGA activist Rich Logis founded the group 'Leaving MAGA,' and he's quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of followers. This comes as the latest You Gov polls finds 38% of Americans approve of Trump's job performance.
Still, Logis and his group have been accused of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
"I believe these people themselves are suffering from TDS," one user wrote on the New York Post website. "I do not believe these are legitimately former Republicans. I do not think there are many Republicans crossing over to the side that can't identify a woman."
Logis says Jan. 6, vaccine skepticism and then Uvalde shooting deniers caused his change of heart, led him to leave MAGA and encourage others to do the same. But he also says liberals haven't exactly been throwing open their arms for MAGA converts, instead choosing "ridicule and moral superiority."
"Before Trump, I was neither an R nor a D. I thought both parties were essentially the same. I didn't always vote in non-presidential elections. I allowed myself to be seduced by the “burn it all down” ethos of Trump’s campaign. I didn’t care that he had been a Democrat, had donated to Dems, that he had “The Apprentice” or that he was running as an R. I was attracted to obliterating the established political order. Not defending myself or others, but lots of good people supported Trump for some of the reasons that I did.
"I realized that tearing down lower-case d democratic institutions causes great harm and unnecessarily costs lives."
HIs movement is growing, with social media feeds, billboards, and weekly online reconciliation and support sessions. While there is no data on how many have left MAGA, Logis' message has found an audience.
The single post that says this, for instance, garnered 5,000 likes:
"I thought all those who didn’t support Trump and MAGA would welcome those who left the movement. But there has been strong resistance from many left-leaning Americans, who believe that supporting Trump is an unforgivable offense. I was forced to acknowledge that many have been so traumatized by the politics and policies of the MAGA movement that they want nothing to do with anyone who was ever involved with it. I amended our messaging to acknowledge that pain and resentment, and to directly address it with empathy while making the case that: 1) Many fall prey to MAGA because they don’t pay close attention to politics; 2) They grew up in, or later fell into, the MAGA media bubble; 3) We all make mistakes in life, and 4) It takes a lot to leave one’s community."
Not coincidentally, Logis is also on a tour to promote his memoir, "One Betrayal Too Many: Why I Left MAGA."
He claims that MAGA members are so ardent in their support of Trump that leaving can cost people their families and personal relationships, and his group is meant to fill in the gap and provide the support of a community.
"MAGA is bigger than one man, even if he remains its central figure. It’s a culture that offers recognition and validation to those who feel unseen and unheard. Aggrievement and isolation, perversely enough, became the glue that holds the community together. For many people, aligning with MAGA and Trump is almost literally a cry for help ... I believe most in MAGA are good people who have been led astray, exploited and manipulated," Logis wrote in Salon.
To prove the group's necessity, Florida Today highlighted the story of U.S. Army veteran Ron Kelley, whose family turned on him when he denounced the president and MAGA.
“They turned vicious and they came out and attacked me,” Kelley said. “My mother said ugly things about me, just things you never thought would happen — happened.”
He saw one of the 18 billboards Logis has purchased across the country to gain followers and members, and said he found a fit.
The billboards, including one near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, say, “Find your new community. Welcome home.”
Others accuse founder of TDS
Others accuse founder of TDS
