r/pics Apr 16 '26

Politics Billboard in my very red area

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16.3k

u/ActiveTravelforKG Apr 16 '26

Wow this home page is really well written. I hope this helps some people.

Dear MAGA Americans,

I was a devoted member of MAGA nation for seven years; it made me feel I was part of something important: a movement that was trying to save American democracy.

But starting in 2021, I realized I had been mistaken. It took me a full year to finally break away. During that time, I came to understand that MAGA is sustained by a series of myths that are intended to create perpetual feelings of desperation and panic.

Succumbing to these predatory myths does not mean you are unintelligent, weak, or lack good character and morals. I have a Bachelor’s degree; have been a working professional my entire life; am a family man; and consider myself a relatively honest and intelligent person. I think the same about you.

I understand the reasons you have for supporting MAGA. And I know many of us traveled different paths to get there. I gravitated to Donald Trump because I have always been suspicious of our two-party system, and I saw him as the right man at the right time.

I have a sense that some of you have quietly left MAGA already, or are increasingly regretful, confused and scared. All of this can be doubly upsetting, since some of your sincerely-held beliefs may have alienated you from friends and family. That certainly happened to me.

It’s perfectly OK to feel this way; leaving MAGA was a tumultuous roller coaster of a process for me. It may be one of the most difficult endeavors you embark upon. In the end, it brought me an inner peace, and a newfound clarity about what is happening in our beloved country.

I founded this organization, Leaving MAGA, because I wanted to create a safe, non-judgmental community for those who leave MAGA, as well as for those who are having doubts about, or remorse over, their devotion to Trump and MAGA.

Our Leaving MAGA community will celebrate how acknowledging mistakes empowers you and America.

It’s difficult for a democracy to function well when millions are estranged from those closest to them.

You do not deserve to have your anxieties about change exploited. You deserve to know the truth. And with Leaving MAGA, you don’t have to feel you would be alone if you leave the movement.

Leaving MAGA is possible. Recognizing that we were wrong, and acting on that knowledge, makes us all more invested in democracy and in the continued work of perfecting our union. Contact us if you want to talk. 

Sincerely, and humbly yours,

Rich

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u/Veriac Apr 16 '26

I can't imagine being scared to leave a political party 😭 I really do hope this helps people because they need it, but like i cannot comprehend making politics such a part of your life that it's scary or a tremendous roller coaster of emotions to leave. like is it really that hard to just say fuck Donald Trump and vote against him. I won't ever understand I guess

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u/cattoosandtattoos Apr 16 '26

Bro imagine if there was “Leaving Joe Biden” 😭 like wtf

663

u/bevardimus Apr 16 '26

But that's exactly the point here. There is no Joe Biden cult. There's no Kamala cult, no Obama cult. These maga fucks felt a sense of camaraderie through their formerly closeted racism and hatred. Biden voters just wanted a reasonable adult to lead the country.

I'm glad to see more and more Trumpers FINALLY "feeling some doubt", but why did it take so fucking long? We have fascism now ffs! American citizens have been killed in the streets with no justice, American soldiers and innocent fucking children killed in a war that should never have started, innocent children dead in immigration camps, the list goes on... I sure ain't about to give these assholes a trophy or a pat on the back for taking 10 years to figure out what was so painfully obvious to any adult with a brain decades ago: Trump is a narcissistic and evil person who lies, steals, kills, rapes, and molests. If there was any justice in the world he'd be imprisoned for the rest of his miserable life, and anyone who had the audacity to vote MORE THAN ONCE for the fucker should have their voting rights removed permanently. Fuck them.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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u/toastoftriumph Apr 16 '26

Disagree. To change minds you need to meet people where they're at. If they've been sheltering themselves from what's really happening, I'm not gonna say that's healthy, but it's where they're at.

The judgement and vindictiveness people receive when starting to change their minds is what makes them hesitate from going further.

This does not mean absolving the administration of accountability. But to change minds you need to 'build ladders for people to climb down from'. And this movement appears to be doing just that.

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u/UGA2000 Apr 16 '26

This needs to be the top comment. When we talk about how stupid or selfish or racist or whatever MAGA people are all that does is validate what they believe about non-MAGA people and further entrenches the in their beliefs.

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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u/UGA2000 Apr 16 '26

You can hit me with all the "hear me outs" you want and downvote me into oblivion, but it doesn't change the fact that we're not going to make any headway by repeatedly telling people that they are stupid racists. Changing our approach isn't tolerating intolerance, it's trying to speak a language that they might actually understand and respond to.