The central mystery of MAGA’s devotion to Donald Trump has always been–at least to me–one incomprehensible question: how can any minimally reasonable person look at this man– an adjudicated felon and sex offender, a thin-skinned buffoon and bully constantly lashing out at any criticism with kindergarten-level insults and a third-grade vocabulary–and think, “yep, that’s the guy I want to entrust with the nuclear codes.” How can anyone who can read or watch news videos ignore the increasingly psychotic behaviors?
It’s understandable that people who don’t follow the news, or who get their “news” from Fox, et al, might have missed the copious evidence of his greed, and his use of the Presidency to enrich himself–although the most recent evidence (Paramount Plus’ payment of a bribe to get the government to approve a merger that will make its owner billions) has been very widely publicized.
Evidently, none of this matters to the MAGA cult: not the stupidity, not the ignorance, not the greed. Not the enormous damage he is doing to the country. Cult leaders can do no wrong.
So what explains the evident defection of so many MAGA cultists over the Epstein cover-up? Why of all things has the increasing likelihood that he participated in the rape of numerous young girls penetrated (no pun intended) MAGA’s “see no evil” devotion? After all, they were happy to ignore all the evidence of his predatory sexual behavior against adult women–E. Jean Carroll’s successful lawsuit, the 26 women who’ve claimed they were subjects of groping and other inappropriate assaults, his own taped admission that, being a “star” (at least in his wildly inflated opinion) he could grab women by the you-know-what.
Sane Americans are cheered by recent polling that shows Trump’s precipitous decline, but according to Gallup there are still 37% of Americans who approve of his performance as President. Thirty-seven percent of us look at this pathetic, criminal ignoramus and say “looks good to me.”
Psychologists tell us that one of the most important aspects of a cult–one of the most attractive attributes to members–is the reduction of the individual’s autonomy, the ceding of control over large areas of one’s life to someone else. As one article I read put it, the cult controls people’s thinking and behaviour, their choices about who to associate with, what jobs to do, who to marry or have relationships with, what to believe, and depending upon how extreme, when to eat and sleep and even in some notorious cases when to die.
In addition to relieving the burden of thinking for oneself, in the case of MAGA, mountains of research have affirmed the central role played by racism. As American society has changed in ways that most of us would consider positive, White “Christian” men have experienced those changes as assaults on their status. How dare those uppity women take management positions? When did those Black and Brown people get the idea that they were entitled to equality? Gay people are getting married! There were plenty of straight White males who experienced the progress of others as an assault–as deprivation of their god-given right to dominance. Trump validated their anger and bitterness at a world that was failing to accord them the status they believe is their due. He made it okay to voice their racism, homophobia and misogyny.
Most of all, he provided them with stories to tell themselves. One of the most pervasive of those stories was that of the Deep State. Government was filled with horrible Democrats who sexually abused (and even ate) helpless children. Cult members were the good guys who were going to root out these terrible people and return control of the country to the good guys who deserve to control it. It was an article of faith, a part of the cult identity.
What happens when this article of faith encounters the reality that Trump–the man with whom they identified themselves in this holy war against evil– is one of the bad guys, one of the Deep State pedophiles? I think we’re about to find out.
Some of the faithful will simply reject the evidence, but as we are seeing, others will experience disillusion.
I don’t know what the outcome will be, but thus far, Trump’s usual tactics–lie, call out “fake news,” blame Obama and Hillary Clinton, manufacture distractions–haven’t worked. There are several possible outcomes: MAGA may burrow more deeply into denial and cognitive dissonance. They may double down. Or they may defect.
We shall see…
At least, I think there will not be a significant number of people who switch TO his side because of this issue, so the people he loses are unlikely to be replaced. Or am I being overly optimistic?
As I relate the Epstein news to my wife, I’ve jokingly referred to this as the “coverup coverup” story.
We liberals know that Donald Trump doesn’t like us because we are notoriously independent folks, but he prefers dependent folks who follow obediently like 12-year-old girls.
That says so much, doesn’t it?
Sharon,
I think you’re correct. Trump is clearly presenting as a deeply-diseased creature from the darkest of dark swamps. It’ll take equally disturbed people to keep buying into or converting to favoring him.
Sheila’s right. The faithful cultists will turn themselves into pretzels denying the facts in order to keep their thought-free operating system in tact. If they do indeed look at the truth and the facts, their entire psyche is at risk of falling apart.
In other news on the greed front … I watched a snippet of Rachel Maddow’s expose’ regarding our ground-based nuclear missile silos. They are crumbling and falling apart. They must be replaced. In fact, the House added almost a billion dollars to do that. Not so fast, Congress. The orange monster needed that money to refurbish is “gift” from Qatar, that monstrous 747. Yes, friendly taxpayers, the Grifter in Chief wants to use OUR tax dollars to complete is prized toy which he plans to use after his term as president is over. Two things: (1) It will take almost as long to complete the very complex task of converting a private airplane into AF – 1 as he has left in office – at least as the calendar goes. (2) He extracted the missile silo repair money to do this toy store refurbishment so it will become part of his library when he’s done. Sure. A 747 flying library. Will the 37% feel good about taking their kids to THAT library?
How’s that screwing feeling now, cultists?
There are only a couple of contributors to the blog (guess who) that can understand the hypnotizing effects of Trump’s MAGA. I used to try to break it down, but it’s not really worth my time. As Sheila said, it’s ignorance.
Anyone with a brain can break this down so that it makes sense, but internationally, we are a putrid example of the human race, and for very good reason. While we have the most ignorant leaders from top to bottom, our country now spends over $1 trillion on a military that hasn’t won a war since WW2. It’s only about profit – not being a moral leader.
I haven’t followed the MAGA Cult’s obsession with the Epstein Coverup. Still, they genuinely believe that Obama and Clinton framed their cult leader, and the Deep State Globalists are the only ones sexually abusing minors. Then they use their connections to cover it up. Like I’ve said in the past, this works great for the oligarchy-owned media, who can then “frame” the whole Epstein Case as a “conspiracy” to protect their owners.
There is a Deep State, and it’s been well documented, but MAGA hasn’t picked up a book since high school and would never know about it. There is always some truth to conspiracy theory, but it requires investigative skills and knowledge, versus a 12-word meme to inform others. Like I said, I don’t think anybody contributing to this blog or even reading it understands the level of ignorance we are dealing with.
As a muckraker, the only media doing even a good job of covering Trump and MAGA is late-night comedy hosts. Comedy Central is destroying Trump daily. Their depiction of MAGA captures the idiocy so well. Jon Stewart is still kicking their ass, but still hasn’t accepted the level of ignorance in this country.
What cracks me up is that many young social media influencers are discovering the comedic brilliance of George Carlin. I’ve seen his skits about “not being in the Big Club” more today than a decade ago. When comedians are the only ones telling the truth in the broader media, you know there is something deeply wrong.
My “framing” of this story is that the US of A is a giant fraud and has been for a very LONG TIME. This we must accept.
And, once again, Trump has withdrawn from UNESCO. I was sent this press release to share, but it’s so laughable and ignorant that I won’t pass it along, even to Facebook followers. I would love to know Xi Jinping’s honest opinion of the US of A:
https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/07/the-united-states-withdraws-from-the-united-nations-educational-scientific-and-cultural-organization-unesco
Sheila is very timely in posting a challenge of weighing in on dramatic differences how Americans view disclosure over cover-up of The Epstein File. The fundamental issues are difficult and sensitive for most people to discuss openly. The dark truths about child abuse is traumatic for some who harbor ‘pain bodies’ of their own.
Consider the evidence of medical research addressing pedophilia behavior: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4478390/
There is significant evidence not all sexual abuse of minors by adults is attributed to pedophiliac disorder. As you read the article above, a significant influence resulting in sexual abuse of children are adults who have unsatisfactory sexual relationships with peers. That could be as much embarrassment as accusation of being a pedophile.
Then you might add power and wealth who have means to privatize an abnormalized social behavior behind security gates and luxurious moats.
Now during the Epstein Recess, you can be the judge.
Excellent piece this morning, Sheila! But I must disagree with one statement: “….thus far, Trump’s usual tactics–lie, call out ‘fake news,’ blame Obama and Hillary Clinton, manufacture distractions–haven’t worked”. Throughout both of Trump’s political reigns, his constant lies, denials, mis-directions and reframing of reality have served him well. Ronald Reagan became known as the Teflon President. Donald Trump should be remembered as the King of Slime because regardless of how far the vise of trouble closes in, he is able to ooze his way through and come out on the other side unchanged. His 37% will continue to support him no matter what. Of the other 63%, some are straight ticket voters and wouldn’t think of turning against one of their own; and a good portion of the 63% don’t vote at all, so will simply consider all of this just more political noise and tune it out. And as long as our joke of a judicial system is controlled by the 37%, King Slime will ooze on through. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but Trump has never been held accountable; so I can’t hold onto much hope that things will end any differently this time.
Today’s NYT piece on Thinking as a Luxury Good helped me to analyze much of this.
Sam is largely, if not totally, on target!!! They key issue(s) relate to how – the “larger we” – will react. We can kvetch, together with those who are disconnected (more tied to the Colts or Pacers, or local arts organizations or similar), together with those who basically, or who help contribute to the hopelessness – by buying the Lie, that we CAN’T Resist.
We don’t need to be “The Germans” of World War II. Though the pushers towards Fascism are Strong, we know much more than many Germans did!
Indivisible – https://indivisible.org/ – has a zoom call tomorrow evening – where many of you could choose to join. There are other similar organizations building RESISTANCE! We don’t need – 51% to Resist. We do need to build a Core of 3 1/2% of Adult Americans – who are deeply committed to resisting! MEANWHILE – Trump – may – “build peace” – in the Middle East – for the Moment – become heroized – for the moment – diverting attention from Epstein – just as he did the reverse in attacking Iran Recently – diverting our focus – coming out of The No Kings Marches. We have choices! Silence – and kvetching but not doing anything substantive is a Choice – hopefully many of you won’t/aren’t making! I’m trying and I know some of you are!
Thanks for the lesson, George. Yes, that 31/2 % … Does that number come from the 82 million registered voters who stayed home? Disaffected Trump-ites? Sure, being active is necessary; some of us marched and carried signs in the 60s and we eventually were successful only to have Republicans tear it all down in the 2020s. The mission here is to get rid of the Mike Johnson’s of the world and destroy the Republican party absolutely. Will the 3 1/2% be enough to do that?
One of your best, Sheila. Thank you for sharing your clear thoughts and wisdom.
Yes, Vernon, the Mike Johnsons, and Mitch McConnells, and Stephen Millers and Grover Norquists.
Q’Anon is still out there, with its particular demented thinking about the pedophile Dems. I wonder what will happen when, if, the truth of Trump as pedophile ever breaks through their “truth/brain” barrier!
Ever notice how the vast majority of people accused of acts of pedophilia are Republicans?
Do you recall when that nut job went into the pizza parlor and shot it up claiming that Hillary Clinton and her legion of cannibals were eating babies in the basement? Except there was no basement in the pizza parlor? This was one of the rights biggest fabrications against Hillary Clinton.
Now any reasonable person could put two and two together and realize that this was just projection, you can even use gas lighting, but, projection is something that DT is very adept at. Not intellectually, but instinctively.
Do you recall all of the babies that were taken away from their families during DT’s first term? There were hundreds of babies that kind of disappeared. They couldn’t find their parents, so what happened to them? When the US Marshals found those 60 kids in Florida, kids that had been disappeared, and ranging in age from 6 to 16 years old. This just happened a few months ago, and all you hear about this operation is crickets. Who were these people that had these kids imprisoned?
Stuff like this, you know, is the reason why they don’t want Epstein’s information out there, because it will indite some of the upper echelon of society. Not just the right, but the left also. All the movers and shakers, all of the celebrities, Joe Biden could have had the stuff released, but they’ve all refused to do it, because of the magnitude of the filth. And, it points to everyone in the upper echelons of power, authority, including celebrities business tycoons, and religious leaders. You want a revolution? Get a hold of that Epstein information. And while you’re at it, release all of P-Diddy’s stuff. And maybe Harvey Weinstein!
Scumbags are given better treatment than most, because they have a lot of information that could bring down the government! Realize, that these bastions of power are rotten filthy Den’s of perverse iniquity.
Any predictive parallels here with sexually abusive clergy vs their congregations?
Only reason why the QANON’s and the Trumpy’s are obsessed with the Epstein files is because they are convinced it is a Democratic run operation. (period). It will be their final ‘Hurrah’ to owning the Libs. Now, I am not saying there might be a few on that list; but the ignorance of the right, has kept them from even considering that their dear leader is on that list.
‘Media’–they have been feckless for decades and part of the problem–not to mention they are all owned by corporations or individuals who can be threatened.
They support him because they see themselves in the person they believe him to be. Always a victim, never at fault themselves, always passed over for someone of the “other” who may be much more qualified but is the wrong color/religion/gender. There are also a good number of bullies in that group.
Releasing the Epstein files sounds like a great idea if you are not one of the victims of the sexual abuse, assault or rape. The young women who were children at the time of the perversion by extremely wealthy and powerful people, may be re-traumatized all over again by the release of their personal identification, even more so by the recitation of the original trauma. There are those in the cult who
would find ways to make the lives of these women a living hell all over again.
Maxwell is a special kind of evil. Criminal and deviant, she participated with enthusiasm in the most despicable way possible to defile girls, children. To bargain with her in any way at all is deviance itself.
While we all watch dump make a fool of himself each and every day while in Europe on vacation with his children and grandchildren in tow, a third of the people in the communities across the country are either willfully ignoring him and the Epstein files issue or cheering at his buffoonery and demented behavior. It makes me disheartened, ashamed and angry. Then I look around Indiana and see the same behavior. lies and corruption on clear display with few in MM calling it out for what it is, and fear for my children and grandchild. What kind of future will they face when the MAGA (interesting to note that so many of them are openly calling the party by that name) begin to round up dissidents and detain them in concentration camps right on their doorstep. Who decides is always the question.
wheres the proof, who did what to who. this whole thing centers on some false naritive of the crime. if you convict, you have evidence right? wheres the evidence? who bought what for how much? flight logs, pics,vids etc. who went there. nope, trumps buying his buddies the rich out of harms way. this is first rate corruption in your face, who had sex with these girls?
russia had the game down too, now the trumps are looking to resort in areas of the world where this is just another day..
There is a lot of proof, Jack. Grand hearings and court testimonies are all protected by our corrupt jurists. For those who wonder about Biden, he was restricted by the “judicial system” on what he could release. If you read anything about the Alexander Acosta deal (who later became an appointee to Trump’s administration), it was the most egregious evidence of corruption I’ve witnessed in the US of A. Florida prevented him from being prosecuted by the federal government for his crimes. WTF?
Oh wait, I forgot, in the Acosta deal, he was told by the federales that “Epstein was a protected intelligence asset.”
Now, if anybody knows the history, Epstein worked for Israeli intelligence (Mossad). And, there is no way Mossad used Epstein, Maxwell, and minors to gather blackmail on the world’s elite with the CIA’s knowledge. Therefore, releasing the Epstein Cover-Up truth would reveal that Israel and the US of A used minor girls knowingly to gather kompromat. This is why Tulsi Gabbard cannot release all the files.
What would the international community think of Israel and the US of A if the truth became public (most already know)? When both are under investigation for genocide of the Palestinians, imagine if the world knew the truth about the Epstein Cover-up!!
If anyone would like a backgrounder to put the Epstein/Maxwell blackmail scheme into perspective, read a little about Ghislaine’s daddy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell
Here, John, try this on:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/13/michael-tait-sexual-assault-allegations
There is a large overlap between qanon and maga. The Venn diagram is not quite a circle, but it’s close. Qanon is convinced of the existence of a cabal of elites (all Democrat and progressive, and pretty Jewish) that control the world and work to stay young by abusing children and infants and drinking their blood. Trump became a part of this narrative. To them, he is the saviour, the one who will unleash the “storm” and line the evil cabal members up against the wall. And they _want_ that: executions, not prison. Trump has played into this narrative constantly throughout the time since QAnon began. He sees them as his base, and useful in the voting booth. It’s just like he plays to the proud boys and other racist and misogynistic groups for their votes.
For Trump, the problem is that the Epstein case and the deep state cabal case became intertwined. Qanon came to believe that Epstein was a key facilitator for the cabal. They now believe that Epstein’s client list will give them precisely the list of pedophilic globalists that they want to see executed. Trump, Vance and several cabinet members gave them every reason to expect the release of the list as soon as he was in office.
Now, for qanon and maga, it’s as though Trump is holding up the rapture. And worse, he’s siding with the enemy.
Trump is already preparing the ground by suggesting (ridiculously) that no one can trust the Epstein files because they were written by the leading democrats (which qanon people are clearly meant to understand means the cabal members). I expect that this will work perfectly well with a large majority of the qanon and maga people. But, there will be a not-insignificant number of them that will defect, not to democrats, but to write-in candidates. They still want the racism and other bigotries of course.
But hopefully I’m being to cynical, and the percentage willing to accept Trump’s lies won’t be as high as I think.
Addendum 1: I feel a little bad that such a serious case of horrific abuse is causing me this much delight; I can’t help but enjoy watching Trump flail, caught in his own stupid trap.
Addendum 2: I have seen right-wingers rebut that Clinton and other democrats may be in the list, too. They seem to imply that because people ostensibly on “my team” are implicated, I’d want to protect them. I don’t. Every person who abused children should be prosecuted. I’d go even further: every person who _knew_ what was happening and didn’t speak out (and that likely means most people who have been on Epstein’s plane and almost certainly everyone who’s been to his island) is just as responsible for the abuse, and should also be prosecuted. The rich and powerful really do get away with the most terrible evil. It makes me seethe.
There IS a deep state, and Trump has put it in place. There is a cultural and economic elite that Trump traveled with for 15 years and it trafficked in pedophilia. How could it take someone 15 years to discover their good friend was a “creep”? Trump openly stated that he knew Epstein liked his female interests to be ‘younger’ and continued associating with this “creep”.
The creepiness wasn’t Epstein’s alone.