If Trump does regain power, the threat he poses is exponentially greater. Wilson says that even those who’ve cooled on him, thanks to his failure to make good on promises like “building the wall,” are excited by his threats of revenge. Trump has already vowed to crown himself dictator (but only on “day one”), take “retribution” against his enemies, “stop the Marxist prosecutors” in the Department of Justice and elsewhere, and put tens of thousands of federal jobs under his direct control.
One of the most worrying recent developments is that what is now called the “MAGA movement,” which emerged in Trump’s wake, is no longer dependent on him. While it follows his politics, it acts politically without him. Its most visible elected politicians are members of Congress, particularly Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Paul Gosar. Of them, Greene has been able to garner the most attention, sharing the spotlight only with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who himself is waging a full-throated war against LGTBQ+ people and the state’s educational system. Trump’s ideas on issues like immigration and foreign policy have permeated the Republican Party to such an extent that they have dominated several GOP presidential debates that he himself has not participated in.
The Grassroots
The most popular focus of grassroots political work in 2023 was concentrated on attacking LGBTQ+ issues, with a particular focus on transgender rights. Wilson describes this overarching framework as “focused on children” who are being cynically “used to pursue policy goals.” These include the often-successful takeovers of school boards, banning of library books (usually featuring LGBTQ+ content), and attempts to shut down drag events, which are claimed to “groom” children. The main organization driving these actions is Moms for Liberty, which was founded in 2021 and has since grown to 285 chapters.