Trump's MAGA Movement Faces Reckoning After Midterm Losses

The Republican Party's worst electoral defeat in decades has left supporters of US President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement questioning whether he has become a liability. After a nationwide drubbing in Tuesday's midterm elections, some supporters are beginning to wonder if Trump's time in office has cost them. Michael Little, a 59-year-old businessman and three-time Trump voter, expressed frustration, saying "People are pissed off at Trump. Trump has cost us."

The midterm losses were more than a repudiation of Trump; they were a referendum on the political and cultural movement he built. The movement, which began as a campaign slogan during Trump's 2016 presidential run, faces a potentially existential reckoning after voters delivered Democrats decisive congressional majorities. Trump's first major response to the midterms came on Friday, when he promoted Stephen Miller, the main architect of the administration's hardline immigration crackdown, to chief of staff.

The move was celebrated by some of MAGA's most ardent influencers, who saw it as a return to the anti-immigration agenda at the movement's roots. However, the White House did not directly answer questions about why Republicans lost or where MAGA goes from here. Instead, it pointed to Trump's remarks on Wednesday, when he said, "If I were on the ballot, we would have won." He also said it was "largely true" that the Iran war had cost Republicans because "it drove the gasoline up," but that he'd do it again.

For nearly a decade, MAGA has reshaped the Republican Party and transformed national debates on issues such as trade, immigration, race, and gender. The movement installed loyalists throughout federal agencies, cracked down on immigration, and pressured corporations and public institutions to retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. However, the Democrats' sweeping victory has forced the movement to grapple with an unexpected question: Is MAGA over?

Some prominent MAGA proponents, such as Steve Bannon, a former Trump White House adviser, are urging the party to double down on an aggressive populist and nationalist agenda. Bannon praised Trump for elevating Miller, saying, "There is no more hardcore MAGA proponent than Stephen." However, an analysis of social media traffic done for Reuters by PeakMetrics found that a notable slice of self-described MAGA loyalists – more than 20% – raised doubts about the movement's leadership and direction.

The analysis found broad concern among MAGA supporters as the results became clear, with nearly a third saying concerns about the Iran war and Israel's influence over US policy had overshadowed Trump's message. A quarter said Republicans not fully committed to the MAGA agenda had undermined the movement. The results left Trump facing large Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, with Democrats controlling as many as 56 of the Senate's 100 seats.

The midterm losses have sparked a reckoning within the MAGA movement, with some supporters calling for a change in leadership or direction. Conservative influencer Isabella DeLuca, who was charged with five crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, said Republicans were "just lazy" and failed to appeal to Gen Z voters on key issues such as affordability and avoiding foreign wars. The movement's future remains uncertain, with some supporters wondering if it's time for a new approach.

Key points

• Trump's MAGA movement faces an existential reckoning after midterm losses
• Some supporters question whether Trump has become a liability
• The movement's future remains uncertain, with some calling for a change in leadership or direction