MAGA died at the hands of one meme
1 hat, 2 hat — red hat, blue hat 🧢
If you want answers, all you have to do is follow the memes.
I hate to force the iconic wisdom that is “follow the money” into early retirement, but it needs a successor — one that endows the curious among us with capabilities that fall somewhere between premonition and prophecy. Dump the tea leaves in the trash, we’re reading memes now, friends.
For almost a decade, memes have been a recognized dialect in our political universe. Groypers began to anoint and circulate their widely-memed frog mascot as early as 2015. But it wasn’t until the past year that memes transcended the message boards and group chats to become not only an official language of the United States, but the chosen language of its lawmakers. (Just look at literally any post from the Dept. of Homeland Security).
So I hate to break it to you, you’re gonna have to give these images a harder, closer look now — because there are no accidents in meme culture. Everything is done with intention, even if it’s flippant, unpolished, posted with a wink. And this is why (thanks to a lack of botox) my eyebrow cranked to the heavens when I started to see people drop the hat exchange meme.
Pronouncing MAGA “dead” is not a gamble you want to make if you’re not sure. Because, like it or not, every tongue that has risen against the movement has fallen. “Too much winning,” as Trump has called it. But this is more than just a hiccup … people were announcing their departure, burning MAGA hats, and that meme above caught on, organically too, as far as I can tell.
It works because it’s familiar iconography: the drawn figure featured is “wojak,” one of the most popular faces in meme culture, usually associated with being in your feelings. It takes the most influential and recognizable symbol of any modern political movement and hits it with an Uno reverse: mimicking the make and model, to bank pre-existing familiarity, but offering new branding and vision of the future. Nick Fuentes even laid this out himself back in July.
What really are political movements other than a stacking of grievances that were left unaddressed by the guy(s) before? Some just happen quicker than others. The team who wins is first to recognize an opening the defender can’t see and strike while the meme is hot.
So let’s take a look at where our creators are lining up.
THE KEY FACTIONS + REACTIONS:
Put my face on today because I wanted to offer you an option to watch me explain a brief version of this if you don’t feel like reading it. If you like it, let me know! Maybe I’ll make a habit of it again.
MAGA: NO ROOM FOR TRAITORS
Leadership: President Trump + JD Vance
Organizations: Turning Point USA + Real America’s Voice — two essential organizations that really could’ve gone either way. I was super curious if RAV’s star Jack Posobiec would take these tribulations as a chance to try something new. Au contraire: He posted “Never blackpill.” TPUSA figures have mostly backed Trump online even if it was just through some subtle reposting rather than outward vocalizing.
Individuals: Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly, Laura Loomer — the first two are heavy media hitters that Trump needs to stay afloat. Megyn Kelly did say “I don’t like this at all,” because she likes MTG, but she’s still backing MAGA. Ben Shapiro and Laura Loomer are most animated by their pro-Israel beliefs which (obviously) have no home any farther to the right.
Others: Brett Cooper, Brilyn Hollyhand, Officer Tatum, Catturd, Meghan McCain
MIDDLE MEN: FIGURING IT OUT
In the eye: Marjorie Taylor Greene + Thomas Massie
Close to a pivot: Tucker Carlson — he remains America First-curious without being America First-committal after his friendly interview with Nick Fuentes. He doesn’t have the most flattering things to say about Trump recently, but is more and more sympathetic to the far right.
Warning they’re wobbling: Matt Walsh + Benny Johnson — these are just the two biggest examples I pulled for you. Both have been staunchly pro-MAGA since the get-go, both released videos that push America First. Johnson uses his alleged four-hour meeting with Trump last Friday as a springboard for how displeased he is with the president’s recent moves.
Watching: MAHA — I actually don’t think there’s any group of people more pissed off right now than them. In their view, they delivered the White House for Donald Trump and wouldn’t have won had RFK Jr. not been named “Prince that was Promised.” With the HHS Sec. sidelined and their agenda stalled, MAHA’s gonna be looking for a new home expeditiously.
AMERICA FIRST: MAGA IS DEAD
Leadership: Nick Fuentes + ______, some essential bits from his episode Friday 👇
Says America First needs a “handsome Christian white man” leader, hates Vance but doesn’t rule himself out
Calls Trump’s post about MTG “delusional” (he has been no fan of her historically)
Thinks media and establishment portrayed MTG as a “dumb hillbilly,” leading her to sell out corporate interests in 2022 after losing a bunch opportunities
Repeats “MAGA is dead” and “I told you so” over and over, goes deep into betrayal by Trump
Conspiracy theorists: Infowars, Mike Flynn, Candace Owens — it shouldn’t surprise you that Alex Jones, of $1B defamation suit fame, is all over this. Candace Owens is actually not really hung up in the details of this battle as she obsessively tracks an Egyptian plane she believes was following Erika Kirk around the world.
Antisemites, specifically: Jake Shields, Hodge Twins + Myron Gaines, Morgan Ariel — this is a crew who unite under the banner of hating not just Israel, but Jews in general, who have been shepherded out of the darkness by Fuentes himself. They’re more emboldened and comfortable than ever.
WHAT’S LEFT? … God, who knows by the time this Epstein vote gets to Trump’s desk. Come back Thursday for the scoop.
LOOSE ENDS:
📝 Word I learned today: canto
one of the major divisions of a long poem — “This is what Nuzzi writes in her book, “American Canto,” never naming the politician who readers will deduce is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” (via Jacob Bernstein, NYT)
📰 Something you should read today: If you’ve followed The Recount for any amount of time, you’ll be familiar with Steve Morris. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’ll be well acquainted with my obsession with Steve, soliciting his every opinion on any topic all the time. Finally we have an outlet to channel that into to bother him less: His newsletter “The Long Run” is finally here. Go get it.
🥹 Something to make you smile today: Da popeeee. Genuinely top five intriguing people alive for me right now (kicked Steve there off the list). Here’s what he has to say about art and AI:
Damn, I hadn't seen that quote from the Pope yet. That's /powerful/.