MAGA BACKFIRE: Instead of owning the Libs, they are being owned by Trump/Musk cuts.
Trump, Musk, & MAGA are intent on owning the Libs. Unfortunately, most of the cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, & SNAP will affect MAGA, rural America, & their employment more than the Libs
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MAGA BACKFIRE
Summary
The MAGA movement, driven by its obsession with “owning the libs,” is backfiring spectacularly. Instead of harming progressives, Trump and Musk’s cuts to essential government agencies like NOAA and FEMA are disproportionately hurting their own voters in red states. From slashing disaster preparedness to undermining Medicaid and imposing job-killing tariffs, their policies have left rural America more vulnerable. While Trump and his allies claim to fight for working-class conservatives, their actions prove that their real priority is dismantling government at any cost—even if it devastates their own supporters.
Key Takeaways
NOAA and FEMA Cuts – Trump’s attack on federal disaster agencies weakens weather forecasting and emergency response, disproportionately harming red states affected by natural disasters.
Medicaid Rollbacks – Deep cuts to Medicaid threaten healthcare for millions, especially in MAGA strongholds like Kentucky and West Virginia.
Job-Killing Tariffs – Trump’s tariffs hurt American farmers and manufacturers, with economic losses concentrated in conservative rural areas.
Social Safety Net Attacks – Efforts to gut the Inflation Reduction Act and Social Security would devastate Republican voters who rely on these programs the most.
The Ultimate Self-Own – MAGA policies, designed to punish progressives, are instead leaving their own voters worse off, exposing the contradictions of right-wing governance.
Trump and Musk’s reckless crusade against government institutions isn’t hurting the “coastal elites” they claim to target—it’s devastating their own supporters. The GOP’s war on essential services, economic security, and disaster relief is a direct attack on working-class Americans in red states. If progressives can effectively expose this reality, they have an opportunity to turn disillusioned voters against the very movement that is failing them.
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The Republican Party, particularly under Donald Trump, has made “owning the libs” its core political philosophy. Rather than governing with policies aimed at improving the lives of Americans, the GOP has spent years attempting to punish progressives, blue states, and liberal institutions. But in their eagerness to dismantle anything associated with “woke” culture, Trump and his allies—including tech billionaire Elon Musk—have implemented policies that disproportionately harm the very people who make up their base.
From slashing vital government agencies like NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to gutting FEMA, Medicaid, and key economic programs, Trump and Musk’s agenda is backfiring. The pain they inflict in their ideological crusade doesn’t primarily hurt urban liberals—it falls hardest on rural, working-class Americans, many of whom voted for Trump. This pattern, a hallmark of right-wing governance, highlights how Republican policies often serve as a self-inflicted wound on red states.
The Attack on NOAA and Disaster Preparedness
A glaring example of MAGA self-sabotage is Trump’s attack on NOAA. This federal agency, which plays a crucial role in weather forecasting, climate research, and disaster response, is now a target for right-wing extremists who claim it is part of the “climate alarmist” movement. In reality, NOAA provides essential services, particularly for rural and agricultural communities, where accurate weather forecasts can mean the difference between life and death.
Yet Trump has slashed hundreds of NOAA jobs, with plans to eliminate even more. The consequences are already visible. When devastating tornadoes tore through Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama, it wasn’t liberal coastal elites who suffered—it was the very people Trump claims to champion. These states voted overwhelmingly for him, yet they now find themselves with weakened disaster preparedness due to his policies.
Similarly, FEMA—the agency responsible for disaster recovery—has been cut under Trump and Musk’s anti-government ethos. Trump has even suggested shutting FEMA down altogether, a move that would primarily devastate conservative, hurricane-prone states like Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. The irony is inescapable: in their rush to “shrink the government,” Republicans are stripping their own voters of critical services, leaving them more vulnerable to natural disasters.
Medicaid Cuts and the War on Working-Class Americans
The same pattern is visible in Trump’s war on Medicaid. While he and his allies paint government assistance programs as giveaways to “lazy liberals,” the truth is that Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of working-class Americans—many of whom live in red states.
Take Eastern Kentucky, a heavily pro-Trump region where nearly half the residents rely on Medicaid. A woman interviewed by The Washington Post explained that if Medicaid were slashed, she would lose access to addiction treatment and immediately become homeless. The same holds true in states like West Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi, where the opioid crisis and economic hardship have left many dependent on government-funded healthcare.
Even Steve Bannon, Trump’s former strategist, has admitted that many MAGA supporters rely on Medicaid. He acknowledged that slashing the program would be politically dangerous, stating, “A lot of MAGAs are on Medicaid.” Yet, despite this reality, Trump and his allies continue their assault on the very programs that keep their voters afloat.
Tariffs and the Economic Blowback on Rural America
Trump’s economic policies have also backfired spectacularly on his base. His obsession with tariffs—presented as a way to punish China—has actually led to job losses in American industries, particularly in rural and agricultural communities.
According to The New York Times, nearly 8 million Americans work in industries affected by Trump’s tariffs, and the vast majority of these jobs are concentrated in conservative strongholds. Farmers in the Midwest and South, who rely on exports, have been particularly hard hit. China and other countries have retaliated against Trump’s tariffs by slapping their own tariffs on American agricultural goods, leading to plummeting crop prices and financial devastation for many farmers.
Even former Vice-President Mike Pence, a staunch conservative, has acknowledged the economic damage. “The importer here in the United States pays the tariff,” Pence admitted, contradicting Trump’s false claim that foreign nations bear the cost. Ultimately, these tariffs tax American businesses and consumers, driving up prices and weakening job markets in Trump-supporting areas.
The Ultimate Self-Own
Perhaps the most stunning aspect of this self-inflicted damage is the way Trump’s base continues to support policies that actively harm them. Whether due to misinformation, tribal loyalty, or cultural grievances, many MAGA voters seem willing to endure economic hardship as long as it aligns with the broader goal of “owning the libs.”
This phenomenon isn’t new. For years, Republican-led states have refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act despite overwhelming evidence that doing so would save lives and boost local economies. Similarly, Trump voters who benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act are watching as Republicans work to dismantle it—even though 80% of its investments flow into red districts.
This dynamic raises a troubling question: How long will these voters tolerate policies that worsen their lives? There are signs of growing discontent. In key swing states, many working-class voters are beginning to realize that the GOP’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality. If Democrats can effectively communicate the real-world consequences of Republican policies, they have an opportunity to break through the misinformation and win over disillusioned voters.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
The lesson from Trump and Musk’s cuts is clear: the obsession with “owning the libs” is nothing more than a self-destructive strategy. The people most harmed by these policies are not elite progressives but working-class Americans in red states who rely on government services, healthcare, and fair economic policies to survive.
Progressives must take this moment to expose the reality of Republican governance and build a coalition that prioritizes economic justice, climate resilience, and social safety nets. The country cannot afford to let Trump’s self-destructive politics continue unchecked. Instead of allowing resentment and misinformation to drive national policy, it is time to unite around solutions that benefit all Americans—regardless of party affiliation.
If MAGA voters truly want to “own” anyone, they should start by holding their own leaders accountable.
The MAGA mantra needs to evolve into “own the cons”, AKA Trump, Musk, GOP Congress. At this point, Impacted MAGA are very masochistic over their blind faith in this chaos!
Good analysis, Egberto. Thank you.
However, you say: “...if progressives can effectively expose this reality...” and “If Democrats can effectively communicate the real-world consequences of Republican policies...” In other words, we progressives are NOT effectively exposing and Dems are NOT effectively communicating. (Dems are actively colluding with the fascists, another story.)
Each in our own way, you and I work to expose and communicate — you more relentlessly than me, that’s why I keep up a paid subscription. Trump/Musk chaos — and the economic pain and suffering it’s imposing on ordinary workers and families — offers fresh opportunities to “break through”, as you point out.
Overall, though, I view this piece as an implicit admission of our own failures, i.e., we progressives haven’t yet succeeded in breaking through. Somehow, we need to up our own game.
The mere fact that folks are suffering isn’t sufficient to spark a progressive uprising. In Serbia this past week, 325,000 people flooded Belgrade, their capital, to protest. Proportional to population, that would be like 17,000,000 people jamming the streets of Washington and other cities and towns, speaking with one voice against Trump/Musk economic madness.
Does this mean the Serbian opposition does a better job of exposing and communicating? Or the culture is just different? Or the economic pain is more pervasive and intense? Or other factors? I don’t know, likely a mixture.
How stuck are we Americans? For clues, visit (or revisit) the 2021 book by Heather McGhee, “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.” Essentially, the white majority would rather do without and suffer and even die, rather than share benefits equitably with Black and brown families. Her book is filled with examples. Talk about self-own!
Regardless, exposing and communicating — and Houston Democracy Project’s Neil Aquino would add, local organizing — is what we can do. We need to keep doing it, but also up our game. Somehow.