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Marjorie Taylor Greene has seemingly spoken the final words over the MAGA movement, consigning it to the political graveyard. She buried MAGA and squarely blamed the President.
“Trump has lied so much to us and betrayed us,” Greene stated in Texas. “Beyond any of my comprehension,” she further remarked, “I think MAGA is dead.”
What brought this on bespeaks either total ignorance of Trump’s style or his fondness for money. To be fair, he never made any secret that he favored big business. Whatever “populism” he developed was merely a means of gathering voters. As for investigating Jeffrey Epstein, he saw a political wallet lying on the ground and picked it up. Greene reimagined a different Trump from the one who authored "The Art of the Deal."
As he conceptualizes populism, Trump reserved that for tariffs and tariffs only, as well as government regulations, which he and many billionaires like him desired to disappear. Greene also disliked Democrats with virulence, seeing them as not favoring “the forgotten man.” Stephen Bannon, a much shrewder observer, misread Trump as well, but he did it with an eye for politics. Promises were made, and promises were broken; this is nothing new in politics. Indeed, it is politics.
Good gracious, in what way was she betrayed? Granted, Trump promised to open the Epstein files. He failed to open the whole files. The assassination files on John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, as well as Martin Luther King’s, were not opened except with the usual heavy redactions. Earl Long, a former governor of Louisiana, was very Trump-like when accused of breaking a campaign promise, remarking, “Tell ’em I lied.” Politicians are usually less than forthcoming when handling a request that they suspect is dubious.
The problem is that Greene and friends want Trump to do what he believes runs counter to his interests. Like many single-issue voters, Greene seems to believe that the republic rises and falls on picayune issues. Moreover, whatever made her think that Trump cared a whit about Epstein’s peccadilloes in the first place? Again, single-issue voting has no more appeal for politicians than businessmen. Again, Joseph P. Kennedy’s remark about “Only a fool holds out for top dollar” can apply in this case.
This does not mean that Greene has no right to complain. She was cast aside, receiving the usual Trump benedictions reflecting on the paucity of her intelligence. But she should not be stunned. The Republican Party, from Willie Horton to Mitt Romney’s remarks concerning the 47% of alleged layabouts that inhabit the United States, has made it abundantly clear that they can care less about the lower and middle classes. Again, how does Trump differ from this tradition? As for “forever wars,” he is less militant than many Democrats on foreign affairs.
Greene and her ilk’s views are every bit as harsh as Trump’s, from immigration to government expenditures. MAGA wanted the whole shebang and failed to receive it. Perhaps they won’t be “fooled again,” but they should check with the candidate first.