Ex-'hardcore MAGA activist' details game plan for saving others from Trump

Much of the criticism of President Donald Trump on the right is coming from Never Trump conservatives and libertarians, many of whom were scathing opponents of the MAGA movement from the get-go. Attorney George Conway, The Washington Post's George Will, MS NOW's Joe Scarbrough and The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson were so anti-Trump that they left the Republican Party altogether. But Rich Logis' opposition to Trump is coming from a much different place. In Salon, the founder of Leaving MAGA details his journey from hardcore Trump supporter to Trump opponent — and his ongoing efforts to help others who have become disillusioned with the president and the MAGA movement."From 2015 until 2022," Logis explains in Salon, "I was a hardcore MAGA activist and pundit. I spoke at pro-Trump events. I wrote numerous op-eds, and even hosted a podcast dedicated to promoting all things Trump. I loved that he wanted to burn down the established political order. I felt that neither major political party cared for the working person. When Trump ran the first time and was elected against what seemed like impossible odds, it was exhilarating and new. It was also a communal experience. MAGA became my second family."The Leaving MAGA founder argues that Trump opponents shouldn't dismiss his supporters as a lost cause, but he emphasizes that quitting MAGA is a real struggle for those who have been true believers and are now questioning the movement."When I tell people I founded an organization that helps people leave Donald Trump‘s MAGA movement," Logis notes, "the response is often a derisive snort. 'Why waste your time on them?' people sometimes say. 'They're a lost cause. It's a cult.' I firmly believe that kind of dismissive contempt is misguided. In fact, I know it, on a profound personal level…. Recognizing that MAGA provides a strong sense of community is key to understanding its appeal."Logis continues, "Another integral element of MAGA's power is the pro-Trump media echo chamber. For several years, I got my information almost exclusively from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Breitbart. Everything outside the echo chamber, to my community, was Democratic Party propaganda…. It's hard to overstate the formidable power of believing the MAGA media's daily lies and distortions. I was addicted to rage and fear. Even though Trump had been elected president, I lived in a perpetual state of despair, desperation and paranoia."Logis cites anti-vaxxer propaganda during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas as two of the things that led to the creation of Leaving MAGA in 2022. And he is seeing others going through the same struggles he went through. "On the eve of America's 250th birthday, our democracy is in crisis," Logis warns. "I firmly believe the key to resolving it lies partly in forming unlikely but necessary alliances. Those who leave MAGA are worthy of our grace, and can become stewards of our democracy. We cannot afford to shun them."