Is MAGA Turning on Trump?
The Epstein files have been on the back burner for the past few weeks, not completely forgotten about, but sat aside to simmer in the background as we shifted our focus to deal with the latest political issue, the recent government shutdown. On November 12, the House Oversight Committee released over 20,000 pages of Epstein emails, effectively bringing Trump's involvement with Epstein right back to the forefront of everyone's mind.
To learn more about one of the Epstein files' first damaging round of fire towards Trump this term, check out our article “Will the Epstein Files be the Breaking Point of MAGA’s Love for Trump?”
The emails released contain messages from Epstein directly alleging that Trump “knew about the girls.” He even wrote that Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of the victims.
In a 2011 email to his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, discussing their surprise at the fact that no one connected Trump to their sex-trafficking scandal, Epstein wrote “I want you to realize that the dog that hasn't barked is Trump.”
As a convicted accomplice of Epstein’s, Maxwell has been serving time in prison, though ever since news of her relocation from a high-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas and possible special treatment at said facility, a theory amongst the public has risen. This theory questions whether or not Maxwell is receiving this special treatment because she is covering for the president.
Trump’s initial response to the release of the emails tried to flip the script back onto the Democrats and essentially bully any Republicans trying to hold him accountable.
“The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffery Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”
Though, as his political dominance over die-hard MAGA and the rest of the Republican party appears to be slipping even more, Trump decided to switch positions on the issue of the Epstein files release and signed a bill to release them in an attempt to deflect a bit of backlash.
“Let anybody look at it, but don’t talk about it too much, because, honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us,” Trump said. “It’s really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them, and it’s a hoax.”
Trump’s approval rate is not just experiencing a downfall due to the Epstein drama, but also for a variety of issues, including disagreements over tariffs and affordability, the H1-B work visa, his foreign focus, and the recent ballroom renovations.
Tariffs & Affordability: A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that almost half (47%) of Republicans said Trump’s tariffs are going to make inflation worse, while 25% of Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs altogether. Polls done by CBS News relating to affordability also show a large portion of Republicans saying that the Trump administration isn’t focusing nearly enough on lowering prices.
H1-B Visa: Trump rekindled old MAGA backlash during an interview with Lauren Ingraham after disagreeing with her idea that the U.S. didn’t need to import workers because “we have plenty of talented people here.” A poll done by Quinnipiac University also shows that 28% of Republicans opposed the H1-B program.
Foreign Focus: Much of MAGA is starting to feel as though Trump’s investment in foreign affairs opposes his marketed viewpoint of “America First.” A poll conducted by Reuters-Ipsos showed that 52% of Republicans think it would be “better for the nation if the US stays out of the affairs of other nations.”
Ballroom Renovations: Trump’s latest $350 million ballroom construction plans, that included bulldozing the East Wing of the White House during the recent government shutdown, are being widely perceived as a disrespectful display of wealth while the American people are struggling. A Pew Research Center poll displayed that about 3 in 10 Republicans/Republican-leaning independents believe that Trump is most likely improperly using his office for the enrichment of himself, friends, and family.
Yet another example of even the most faithful MAGA followers beginning to question Trump’s actions comes in the form of a fallout between Trump and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. For years Greene has been one of the most vocal MAGA supporters, but recently she became one of the few Republicans in power to publicly disagree with Trump on the release of the Epstein files, foreign policy, and the government shutdown. She has even coined the nickname “Marjorie Traitor Greene” from Trump himself.
The constant lack of transparency and consistency coming directly from the Trump administration are presenting as major points of frustration within MAGA. For years MAGA has bent their positions to agree with whatever Trump said was right, though as he tirelessly moves to dodge accountability, loyalties are being tested and it may very well be that he created a movement that can outlast him.
