Latest news with #MAGAKool-Aid
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
People Share Times They Tried To Reason With MAGA Fam
Recently, we asked Donald Trump supporters to share their "deal breakers" and what lines they were unwilling to watch their party cross. Most responses gave the sitting president free rein until it came to very niche aspects of their personal lives, which FRUSTRATED our BuzzFeeders and prompted us to ask our community to share the most frustrating time they tried to reason with a Trump supporter. Here's what they said: "My Dad, stepmom, and step-siblings were all in from the first time he ran. Dad had the 'Trump won' stickers on the truck and the 'not my president' signs in the yard. They have Fox News on 24/7 in their house, and Dad listens to nothing but far-right radio all day." "At first, I tried going point by point using personal examples and facts from sources that they would trust. They ended up dismissing all sources that contradicted Trump until the only things they said they could trust were Trump's own words. When you point out the obvious falsehoods in his words, they say, 'Oh, well, not those words. He likes to exaggerate.'" (Cont.) "My mother basically voted herself out of work as an educator with the new funding cuts, but she still doesn't see the connection between her vote and her new situation, just like she suddenly doesn't care how much groceries cost after claiming the grocery bills were part of the reason for her vote. They are two of the most privileged people I know, and yet they truly believe that, as Christians, they are oppressed in our society. I can't think of another group with more reasonable freedoms, yet they fight for the freedom to subject others to their religious beliefs by force." "My friend kept asking me for references to my side of an argument and then said (when I give them) they weren't reliable sources… no matter what source(s) I offer." "On the night of his embarrassing so-called speech, I told my husband I had never felt so sad to be an American. With each and every lie, I would ask, 'Do you really believe THAT??!!' And, 'Yes, I do,' was his response to every single lie Trump told." "The worst has been trying to explain why I'm so anxious all the time as I watch my trans husband's rights be slowly stripped away, but my dad especially just won't believe it's 'that bad.'" "My brother has drunk an entire pitcher of the MAGA Kool-Aid. He loves to send my husband videos and clips from right-wing podcasts (his primary source of information) that he thinks will convince us that he's been right this whole time and that Trump is the answer to every problem in the country." "My husband works for the federal government and handles classified information. At the height of DOGE chaos, when my husband and I weren't sure whether he'd still have a job and he was being threatened to quit or send a bullet-pointed email, my mother asked how things were going." "My mother thankfully hasn't fully drunk the Kool-Aid, but I would say she's more of the clueless kind. Throughout the entire election, my sister and I were talking about all of his felonies, his dangerous rhetoric, how everything he says is just one stupid outrageous lie after another, etc., only to be met with my mother saying, 'I'm sure Biden's done it too.' 🤦🏻♀️ No. No mother. Biden is not a convicted felon." "I have three relatives, all women who are trump supporters. Day in and day out, I'm fighting them at family events or when they demand my time because I'm around. I've called a spade a spade with them more than once by debunking their lies while telling them they're racists, bigots, pro-abuser, and outright anti-human rights with each new claim." "Oh my god. Every time I'm around my maternal side of the family, it's nothing but conspiracy, woke, anti-vax, etc, etc..I can't anymore with them. It's like beating my head against the wall. I wasn't a Democrat or a Republican." And finally, "All during the election run-up, a neighbor (a very nice person, just opposite politically) kept moaning how a Biden victory would collapse the economy, her 401K would tank, etc." Now I want to hear from you. Friends and family of MAGA supporters, tell us about the most frustrating experience you've had when trying to reason with them in the comments. Or, if you'd like to remain anonymous, use the form below. Want to know if Trump's economy is actually doing as well as he promised? Subscribe to the Economy Hate Watch newsletter and never miss our monthly update.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mike Waltz apparently forgot this cardinal MAGA rule
Mike Waltz gave up one of the safer seats in Congress to serve as President Donald Trump's national security adviser (Trump won the district by 30 points in November). In return, he was subjected to one humiliation after another before finally being shown the door 101 days into the job and given the consolation prize of a nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The conventional wisdom about Waltz will likely focus on his epic Signal group chat screw-up, in which he inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, to a high-level discussion about U.S. military strikes against Yemen. Surely that didn't help, but considering Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent military attack plans to the same group chat — and also shared them with his wife and brother — and still has his job, Signalgate is hardly the sole reason for Waltz's downfall. Waltz's problem was that in an administration of know-nothing America firsters, solicitous Trump sycophants, and national security novices, Waltz knew a bit too much and drank too little of the MAGA Kool-Aid. Waltz is a fairly conventional Republican foreign policy hawk, but unlike many in Trump's foreign policy inner circle, he had actual national security experience. He won four Bronze Stars while serving in the U.S. Special Forces, worked in the Pentagon and on Vice President Dick Cheney's staff during the Bush administration and served on the House Armed Services Committee. But Waltz's even greater sin was assembling a National Security Council staff that included individuals who, like him, had focused their careers on foreign policy. They included his assistant, Alex Wong, who served as a foreign policy adviser on Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign and helped organize Trump's 2018 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Wong, too, was let go on Thursday. Waltz and Wong followed a host of NSC staffers who were fired after the intervention of Laura Loomer, a noted conspiracy theorist and Trump whisperer. In early April, she had an Oval Office meeting with the president, at which she reportedly accused multiple NSC staffers of the ultimate MAGA sin: disloyalty to Trump. Loomer's accusations reportedly led to other ousters, including those of Brian Walsh, a former top aide to Marco Rubio, who was allegedly dismissed in part because he kept a transgender detailee from the intelligence community on his staff. Waltz seemed to forget the cardinal rule of MAGA — experience and intelligence matter little to Trump. After all, this is a president who has given the briefs of ending the war in Ukraine and reaching a nuclear deal with Iran to a guy, Steve Witkoff, who has spent his career doing real estate development. Moreover, Trump's frustration over Waltz's Signal screw-up seemed to have as much to do with the fact that he was apparently friendly with Goldberg, a true Washington insider, than with showing such poor judgment in discussing national security matters on a commercially available social messaging app. Waltz also stood out from the MAGA crowd on matters of policy. He seemed to grasp that Trump's appeasement of Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine was a poor strategy (he apparently was one of the loudest advocates within the administration for sharpening sanctions on Russia if Putin didn't agree to a ceasefire). His calls for a tougher stance on Russia, as well as his general bellicosity toward Iran and China, almost certainly contributed to his political downfall. If not for Signal or even his hiring decisions, Waltz's lack of fealty to Trump's America First agenda meant that his tenure in the White House was likely always going to be short. Indeed, Waltz could have learned much from the man who is temporarily replacing him as national security adviser, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In the not-too-distant past, Rubio was as much a foreign policy hawk as Waltz. He, too, once talked tough on Russian aggression against Ukraine and supported U.S. foreign aid and, at one point in his Senate career, even tried to broker a compromise immigration bill. Now he says the conflict in Ukraine is 'not our war,' he has played a key role in demolishing the U.S. Agency for International Development, and he has zealously defended Trump's illegal deportation policy. The symbolism of Rubio taking Waltz's job is almost too on the nose — even for this administration. It's not merely an indication that MAGA world will flush out the unrepentant hawks who once dominated Republican foreign policy — and are now as close to extinction as the once-flourishing 'Republican free trade' caucus. It's also a reminder that the key to staying in Trump's good graces is to simply parrot — and help implement — whatever insane policy idea pops into the president's head. Waltz was, at best, a replacement-level national security adviser for a Republican president — the kind of person one could imagine a President Nikki Haley or a President Ron DeSantis appointing as their national security adviser. But, in Trump world, being an adequate foreign policy hand is as much a scarlet letter as it is a key qualification. Waltz's mistake was in believing that there's anything normal about our current political moment. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Letters to the Editor: Oh, Canada, so many Americans love you
To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity to tell Canadians that not all Americans have drunk the MAGA Kool-Aid. A good percentage of us is as baffled as you are that our fellow citizens elected Donald Trump as our president again. We are truly frightened for the future of our nation. ("The '51st state'? Canadians say no, thanks. They don't want U.S. products either," Feb. 12) I have visited Canada a few times and found the scenery lovely, the cities and towns vibrant and charming and the people friendly. I was surprised to find that many of the Canadians I met on the street and in the shops seemed to know more about U.S. politics than Americans. I agree that picking a fight with our next-door neighbor makes no sense at all, and I don't blame you for boycotting American goods. Many of us hope that, if the situation turns unbearable here in the U.S., Canada might welcome us. We will bring our skills and our money and will not be a burden. In the meantime, please accept my humble apologies on behalf of my fellow Americans who still respect our neighbor to the north. Laurie Jacobs, San Clemente .. To the editor: I'm appalled as most liberals are by the ongoing drastic changes occurring in the U.S. government. I did, however, chuckle at the statement that many Canadians don't want anything to do with us and are avoiding the purchase of U.S. products. Maybe it's just my experience, but it seems that when Canadian weather gets harsh, an awful lot of the supposedly U.S.-wary Canadian population comes for months to Palm Springs. We are still the United States, yes? Barb Kaplan, Palm Springs .. To the editor: I completely understand Canadians boycotting American goods. President Trump has insulted them deeply. Heck, he's insulted me, and I live in Los Angeles. Katharine Waitman, Los Angeles .. To the editor: The 51st state? How about the 11th province instead? California could join Canada. Given Trump's disdain for California, why shouldn't we? The other four Pacific states should follow, creating 15 provinces in Canada. Cary Adams, North Hollywood This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: Oh, Canada, so many Americans love you
To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity to tell Canadians that not all Americans have drunk the MAGA Kool-Aid. A good percentage of us is as baffled as you are that our fellow citizens elected Donald Trump as our president again. We are truly frightened for the future of our nation. ('The '51st state'? Canadians say no, thanks. They don't want U.S. products either,' Feb. 12) I have visited Canada a few times and found the scenery lovely, the cities and towns vibrant and charming and the people friendly. I was surprised to find that many of the Canadians I met on the street and in the shops seemed to know more about U.S. politics than Americans. I agree that picking a fight with our next-door neighbor makes no sense at all, and I don't blame you for boycotting American goods. Many of us hope that, if the situation turns unbearable here in the U.S., Canada might welcome us. We will bring our skills and our money and will not be a burden. In the meantime, please accept my humble apologies on behalf of my fellow Americans who still respect our neighbor to the north. Laurie Jacobs, San Clemente .. To the editor: I'm appalled as most liberals are by the ongoing drastic changes occurring in the U.S. government. I did, however, chuckle at the statement that many Canadians don't want anything to do with us and are avoiding the purchase of U.S. products. Maybe it's just my experience, but it seems that when Canadian weather gets harsh, an awful lot of the supposedly U.S.-wary Canadian population comes for months to Palm Springs. We are still the United States, yes? Barb Kaplan, Palm Springs .. To the editor: I completely understand Canadians boycotting American goods. President Trump has insulted them deeply. Heck, he's insulted me, and I live in Los Angeles. Katharine Waitman, Los Angeles .. To the editor: The 51st state? How about the 11th province instead? California could join Canada. Given Trump's disdain for California, why shouldn't we? The other four Pacific states should follow, creating 15 provinces in Canada. Cary Adams, North Hollywood
Buzz Feed
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
People Are Sharing The Enormous Secrets They're Keeping From Their Family Members, And They Range From Juicy To Heartbreaking
Note: This post contains mentions of sexual abuse. Recently, BuzzFeed Community members shared the major secrets they won't be telling their family members anytime soon, and they range from devastating to salacious. Here are some of the confessions that might need you to pick your jaw off the floor: 1. "My husband thinks our daughter is his, but she's biologically not. My former boss is. My husband is an amazing father and has an incredible relationship with her. I can never, ever tell him or my daughter the truth, and I resent myself for it." 2. "I genuinely cannot tell my family I'm vaccinated. Otherwise, they will cut me off. My family drank the MAGA Kool-Aid and, unfortunately, are my only support system. Once I'm done with college and get a job, I'm out." —Anonymous 3. "I got catfished and scammed out of $8,000. I was lonely, desperate, and insecure, and I thought the woman I was talking to online was truthful and genuine. I still haven't financially recovered, and I'll never ask my family for help because it's so embarrassing." 4. "I'm a 30-year-old straight, married woman. In high school, I became a pretty prolific fanfic writer for a male-male ship from my favorite show at the time. I was fairly well-known within the fandom, and some of my stories included VERY graphic gay sex scenes. In retrospect, I wonder if this was my way of rebelling against the conservative, religious culture I was raised in. I'm now working on what I hope will be my first novel, and while it couldn't be further from my previous material, I've found myself thinking back to that time in my life more recently. While I haven't told many people about the project, they almost always ask if I've always been a writer, and I can't even imagine explaining what my previous fiction-writing endeavors consisted of." "I am an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and am not ashamed of having written so much around a same-sex relationship, sex, I wrote SO much sex in SO much detail. It couldn't be me now, and I'm taking my past life as an author to my grave." —Anonymous 5. "I'm bisexual. I tried coming out to my sister once, but the moment passed. Now that I'm married with two kids and happy in a relationship, I don't think it really matters anymore. I know my siblings and husband would be supportive (and maybe they already know), but at this point in my life, I don't think there would be any point in sharing who I really am." 6. "During most of my 20s, I made my money as a sex worker. I wasn't qualified for much else, and the money was tax-free." —Anonymous, 61, Canada 7. "I've been married to my husband for 14 years and have a beautiful daughter together. My husband is the kindest, most generous man. He loves me, and I love him so much. However, I've recently developed feelings for a younger man. I can't stop thinking about him and trying to justify spending time with him. He makes me feel so happy. I wish I could tell my husband about it and tell him how happy this other man makes me, but he would never forgive or trust me again. So I just keep it all bottled up." 8. "When I was 19, I began having sex with my 18-year-old first cousin. It started innocently enough, but we slowly began a fully intimate relationship. That was 10 years ago. Now, we are roommates. We date other people, but we're exclusively sexual with each other. Our families believe we are close friends and are pleased we get along so well and help each other out financially. My cousin told me he loved me from the beginning, and I feel the same about him. Eventually, I will tell our families that I'm gay, but it'll be a long time until we share our relationship with them." —Anonymous 9. "I've been married to my wife since 2011 and hate her. I'm only with her because I'm afraid to be alone." 10. "The cake I made my racist grandpa for his birthday smelled a little like crap for a reason. I will say no more." —Anonymous 11. "I had a years-long affair with a coworker. I was single, and he was married. His wife knew he was having affairs but didn't care because she was done with the marriage. My coworker and I did some very sordid and kinky stuff together; our chemistry was enigmatic. We only really got together when traveling for work with our other employees, and no one figured us out. I ended it when I got involved with my now-husband. My coworker ended up getting fired a year or so later when he got caught having an affair with another coworker, who was also let go. I've never told anyone about him and me. I still think about him, and sometimes, we reach out and check up on each other. I wonder what might've happened had the circumstances been different." 12. "My grandmother was 96 and wanted to die. She'd lost all bodily control and was in constant pain. Her mind was still sharp, but she'd become numbed by the pain she was in. She begged my mother to help her end her life, but we live in a 'no right to die' state. My mother told me what was going to happen. Grandma willfully overdosed on her medications. My mom stayed with her the whole time; she said it was awful. She left the house and returned the next morning to 'check on Grandma.' It obviously wasn't a surprise, but Mom had to call 911. I can never tell my siblings." —Anonymous 13. "I come from a very conservative, white, Christian background: no dating until you're 16, no sex before marriage, and God forbid you have a baby out of wedlock. I was on my third IUD (I was taking birth control for 'acne'), and in January, I had a one-night stand and ended up getting pregnant. It was ectopic and PAINFUL. In the span of nine months, I got a nasty infection and had cysts all over my ovaries. I ended up having to have surgery to remove them and had my tubes removed. I've never wanted kids, but I can't bring myself to tell my parents that they can never be grandparents." 14. "When I was 7, my cousin molested me during the two years he was living with us. I got the help I needed, but it changed my perspective on love, relationships, and having children. I have no desire to have kids, and though my parents have accepted that, they are heartbroken. My cousin is the son of my mother's sister, and my mom already has tenuous relationships with her sisters, so her knowing this would destroy her. My parents are immigrants and did everything they could to come to the US and build a wonderful life here, so they would be devasted if they knew I went through this. Keeping their peace and the peace in the family is the most important thing at this point." —Anonymous 15. "My dear, sweet husband thinks my body count is six, including him. That number is closer to 40. He doesn't know I've had a lesbian encounter with my friend after a wild night of drinking, and he believes I've never had unprotected sex before. Little did he know that having constant unprotected sex in my younger days was what led to me having infertility issues years later. This feels good to get off my chest because I could NEVER tell my husband." 16. "I am no longer sexually attracted to my wife of 22 years, and we haven't had sex in 15 years. For the last 25 years, I've been seeing sex workers. We have rental properties, and some of the tenants pay cash, so I squirrel away a bit every month until I have enough to see a sex worker. I love my wife dearly and would do anything for her and our kids, but I feel selfish if I were to try initiating sex since she works odd hours and is always physically and mentally tired from work. I've tried watching adult films and taking care of things by myself, but sometimes, I just need physical interaction with another human. I am afraid to calculate how many times I've seen sex workers and even more scared to see how much I spent." —Anonymous 17. "When I was younger, I had drunken sex with a girl at a house party. We didn't speak after that night, but I found out a year later that she had gotten pregnant and I was the father. I found out where she lived and visited, but she told me she didn't want me part of her baby's life. Several years later, I got married to a wonderful woman, but I can never forget that I have a child. I haven't told anyone because I'm ashamed I was never able to help with my son's upbringing, and now I have no idea where he is or if he's even alive." Andersen Ross / Getty Images —Anonymous, 68 18. "My mother had developed a very good friendship with a younger woman, and I also got along with her. One afternoon, the younger woman and I went bike riding, then went back to my place afterward. Suddenly, it was on between us. We had an afternoon that I will always remember. I can never tell my family about this because it will have a devastating impact on my mother, my relationship with my mother, and the younger woman." —Anonymous 19. Lastly: "That I have a child. I know it's weird to keep this secret from your family because it's important, but I had to. If they found out I had a child at 19, they would kill me. Only my siblings know. Five years later, every time my parents come over, I tell my husband to hide our daughter in the room. I feel ashamed, but I can't bring myself to confess." —Anonymous Uh, wow. Some of these were so intense that I need to lie down. If you're keeping a secret from your family members and would like to relieve some of the weight off your chest, share with us your secret in the comments, or you can anonymously confess using this form. Note: Some stories have been edited for length and/or clarity. If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453( service can be provided in over 140 languages.
