Yes, They Voted for This
Trump’s economic legislation has now been approved by Congress, marking a moment when every red hat must look at themselves and reflect on what they’ve enabled. It is disingenuous to place blame solely on those in office when the MAGA crowd has enthusiastically championed the chaos we see today—and what’s still to come. Even the online trolls who “‘don’t even vote” bear responsibility for amplifying right-wing media’s inflammatory memes and hate speech across social platforms, preying on the emotions of people who still give a shit.
The entire right-wing machine, having ceded all power to one grossly incompetent man, has irreparably and decisively torched what it supposedly stood for: the working class and fiscal responsibility (lol). For example, the so-called ‘tax and spending’ bill passed in July adds $3.4 trillion to the federal deficit—so much for tightening belts.
To preface: I personally believe that anyone saying “I didn’t vote for this” is either willfully ignorant, or a coward. Either admit you failed to recognize the warning signs before the election, or you just didn't care – full stop. I’d go even further: after January 6th and the subsequent failure to impeach, remove, and prosecute Trump, the social contract of blind loyalty became a permanent stain. You either saw the events of that day for what they were—a coordinated mob attack on our nation's Capitol, facilitated at the behest of Trump and his allies (Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Proud Boys and Oath Keepers) --or you looked for some way to cast doubt. In other words, you chose speculation at best (“not all attendees were bad people, just a few bad apples”) or full on conspiracy at worst (“the FBI and Antifa staged the event to make Trump look bad”). Aligning yourself with Trump from that day forward was a tacit endorsement of everything that followed.
After surviving the January 6th investigations, and watching his poll numbers hold steady, Trump knew his base would joyfully follow him – and gleefully excuse any wrongdoing if it meant “owning the libs.” Any Republican detractors quickly became targets of MAGA echo chambers, with some even managing to crawl back into favor over time (looking at you, Rubio). MAGA vilified Liz fucking Cheney so hard she started taking pictures with Democrats. Fast forward to the unhinged campaign of 2024. Trump ran on a variety of policy points; the economy, ending foreign wars, and immigration reform—each framed as a stroke of his personal genius. But for anyone outside the cult, the writing was on the wall—splattered in red and underlined in blue: Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s wet dream manifesto, crafted by many current and former Trump operatives.
Remember the red hats insisting, “Trump doesn’t even know what Project 2025 is. He has nothing to do with it. You’re overreacting.” From the bottom of my still-beating black heart, those people can get fucked. Their willingness to downplay a LITERAL playbook developed by private interests is a level of gaslighting I had not thought possible. This roadmap is filled with legal and administrative directives designed to erode federal institutions, strengthen Christian influence over policy making, and eliminate tax programs that benefit the poor in favor of enriching the billionaire class. Mix in the rallying cries of “Mass Deportation Now,” garnish with a little appeasement to Putin and Bibi, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a fascist cocktail—welcome to 2025.
The actual handbook we were told had nothing to do with Donald Trump. smh.
Perhaps the most glaring bullshit stems from Trump’s supposed solution to foreign wars. He repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. I've called bullshit on that from day one. If that were true, and Trump and Putin were really as close as he suggests, why not work to end the war at that time, rather than wait to be elected president? Sure there may be some quid-pro-quo involved, but you'd think he'd show some effort —anything—beyond grandstanding and claiming that his all-powerful influence only works if he wins. What’s always bothered me about the “24-hour” claim is that it subtly implies Putin is only pursuing this war because Biden is in office—or because Trump isn’t. That’s not just misleading—it excuses authoritarian aggression by pretending it’s somehow conditional. It’s foreign policy as performance—tough talk with no strategy, no diplomacy, and no outcomes.
Regardless, there has been zero progress on ending the war in Ukraine, reining in Putin, or generating any hope for a ceasefire. Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenski met back in February, in what had to of been one of the most embarrassing and depressing televised exchanges I’ve ever seen. Instead of discussing a roadmap for peace or offering any constructive details, the Orange Man berated a world leader on behalf of Putin--for the entire world to see. Since then, there have been glimmers of hope, but the war itself remains largely unchanged. Trump appears to be pulling away slightly from Kremlin talking points, but right-wing media has gone eerily silent on Ukraine--again highlighting the hypocrisy of MAGA and the voters who once screamed "America First."
Trump’s failures abroad are bad enough—but the damage he’s doing here at home is just as authoritarian, and just as deliberate. ICE for example, is a total shitshow deserving of its own piece. Put simply: the administration's total disregard for due process has turned ICE into the American Gestapo. Masked agents—many of whom have a fraction of the training traditional law enforcement receives (which isn’t much to begin with)—now cruise around in unmarked civilian cars, black-bagging people in broad daylight. Too many times I’ve seen red hats cheer this on, and it’s fucking disgusting. These gravy seals are cosplaying as Marines while harassing the weak and vulnerable, spreading fear and chaos throughout entire communities.
Trump promised to go after gang members and violent criminals. Instead, ICE is staking out Home Depots, neighborhood parks, and farms – yet another fat fucking lie. Honest, hard-working people are being ripped from their families and deported with no legal recourse. In some cases, they’re being sent to actual torture facilities. This is not who we used to be as a nation, but MAGA and Trump keep proving otherwise. Polling now shows signs of a growing public pushback against these horrid policies --but I can’t help but want to shove every "Mass Deportations Now" sign back in the faces of those who voted for Trump. You fucking voted for this. You own it.
All of was known to be coming—forecast either by Project 2025 or the Trump campaign itself. The argument of “I didn’t vote for this” is complete and total bullshit. Unless I start hearing Trump voters take responsibility for what their vote has unleashed, I have zero sympathy—and even less understanding. As I’ve said before, I don’t buy anyone’s claim of ignorance, not in 2025. We all have phones. We’re all plugged into social feeds. Have family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors tuned into politics one way or another. So it is on us to remind red hats: You are the ones kicking 7 million Americans off of Medicaid. You are the ones eroding due process and the human rights of your neighbors.
Come midterms, I hope we can regain some footing in Congress—and yes, that will require support from some who voted red. But that does not mean we should sacrifice accountability or shy away from calling things exactly what they are. Have those conversations however you see fit, keep the foot on the gas, and hope Trump keeps digging his own grave.
-Edited by E. Sullivan
