Latest news with #MAGAmovement
Wall Street Journal
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
How the Epstein Scandal Fractured Trump's Relationship With MAGA
Joe Rogan, one of President Trump's most influential supporters, drew a 'line in the sand' last week over the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. The president, Rogan said on his podcast that reaches millions, was mishandling the case—a topic that for weeks has consumed Trump's most ardent backers. The break exemplifies the latest in a swirling controversy among conservative voices over the government's alleged delays in releasing more records related to the disgraced financier, who died nearly six years ago. And the MAGA movement, which propelled Trump to his second term, is splintering over it.
CBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
In diverse Central Park, community concerned U.S. Christian musician's concert could sow division
Community members are concerned a Central Park concert planned by a U.S. Christian musician might spur discriminatory rhetoric in a diverse, welcoming neighbourhood, while the City of Winnipeg is still deciding whether it will grant a permit for the public park. Sean Feucht has advertised a concert in Winnipeg's Central Park on Aug. 20. The event is part of a Canada-U.S. tour he has described as the country's "hour of awakening" and an opportunity to worship Jesus. Crown agencies and cities overseeing six public venues in Canada's East Coast, Quebec and Ontario denied or revoked permits granted to Feucht to host events that were part of his tour this week — all citing public safety concerns among their reasoning. Feucht has been affiliated with the MAGA movement and spoken publicly on his platforms against the 2SLGBTQ+ community as well as against abortion rights. He was also a strong advocate against the closure of places of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson from the City of Winnipeg told CBC it received a request from Burn 24-7, a worship group founded by Feucht, to host an event at the Ellice Avenue park, but no permit has been issued yet. "We continue to review the organization's application, which at this point remains incomplete," a statement from the city said. CBC News reached out to the Canadian division of Burn 24-7, but it hasn't heard back. Vision for Central Park Some in Winnipeg are worried about Feucht holding his event at Central Park, a publicly accessible city-owned venue they say has been built into a hub of acceptance. The park is at the heart of a diverse community, frequented by people from different faiths, ethnic backgrounds and gender expressions, said Lesley Harrison. Harrison is minister of the Knox United Church in Central Park, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada by postal code demographics. "We have enough issues that we're dealing with and have worked very hard to build a place that can be accommodating for all." The minister is worried that the ultra right-wing and anti-2SLGBTQ+ stance Feucht has taken in the past could be replicated at his event in Central Park, which could spur division and "at the extreme, potentially incite further violence of people against people." "We have enough issues that we're dealing with and have worked very hard to build a place that can be accommodating for all," Harrison said. "This is not the vision that we have been working very hard [on] over the past years," she said of the potential concert. "But to bring a place where people, let me emphasize this, of all ages are able to feel safe ... and to have events that encourage them to think and to ask questions and to consider what it means to be a good neighbour." WATCH | Canadian cities cancel concerts of Christian rocker, MAGA star Sean Feucht: She would like the city to delay granting the permit until it has enough information about Feucht, his group and the kind of rhetoric that will be spoken — a parameter Harrison has also had to meet in the past. The minister sought permits from the city over the years to host events, including worship, at Central Park, and she said there's been a level of scrutiny to understand whether each event fits with being part of a larger community that gathers at the park daily. "Why would we support something that is not coming from among our people, for our people at this stage," Harrison said. Charlie Eau, the executive director of Trans Manitoba, is also concerned about the kind of message Feucht could share at Central Park as he has been vocally opposed to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, gender expression and immigration before. "This person's views are directly harmful to and make vulnerable the very people that live in the Central Park neighbourhood," they said. "It needs to be stopped." Eau is concerned about the message the city would send by granting a permit for the event, and they would like to see it denied. They acknowledge private venues are within their right to host him, but Eau is hopeful they would consider not doing so, given the discriminatory remarks he has made in the past. "This person is hateful towards so many underserved and marginalized communities, and his rhetoric is going to bring together more people to spread hate and nobody should be platforming it," they said. Feucht says he's facing 'religious persecution' Feucht declined an interview with CBC Manitoba. But in a statement issued last week after venues pulled permits for his other events, the musician said his group "will not cower in the face of religious persecution." "Here's the hard truth: If I had shown up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, the government wouldn't have said a thing," Feucht's statement said. "But to publicly profess deeply held Christian beliefs is to be labeled an extremist and to have free worship events classified as 'public safety risks.'" Private venues have since opened their doors for Feucht to host his events, including a church in Montreal where he took the stage on Friday and began singing while protesters gathered outside. Police confirmed a smoke bomb was thrown inside the venue, but no charges have been laid. CBC viewed several videos posted of Feucht's events where he called for a "revival." These were mainly musical, and featured him with his guitar, singing Christian songs with a band and crowd. During the events, he also promotes his merchandise for sale, solicits donations and invites members of other religious organizations to speak. Although anti-2SLGBTQ+ rhetoric was not heard in a selection of videos, many of his social media and blog posts rail against the 2SLGBTQ+ "agenda." Freedom of expression Richard Moon, a professor at the University of Windsor whose research focuses on freedom of expression, conscience and religion, said a city could have enough grounds to not issue a permit to someone for an event at a public space if they have previously engaged in hate speech and there's legitimate belief it might happen again — but there's a bar to meet. Canadian courts have narrowly defined hate speech as speech that's sufficiently extreme to vilify members of a particular group including calling for their death, describing them as inherently violent or subhuman, Moon said. "People will say things that we think are offensive, odious, hurtful, but they may not reach a level of what we consider and what the law considers to be unlawful," Moon said. "In that situation they would ordinarily have the right to engage in speech," he said, and if that's infringed it could amount to curtailing freedom of expression. Speech can also only be legally defined as hateful after it happens, and through a police investigation. Refusing a person the option to organize an event in a public space becomes "more difficult" when "you don't know what the person's going to say and you don't necessarily have the right or power in advance to predict." "Generally speaking, we're talking about a public space of some kind, and if an individual wants to engage in speech that is not otherwise unlawful, then they have a right to engage in that speech," he said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mary Trump Says Uncle Donald ‘Isn't the Problem Anymore'
President Donald Trump's niece believes that while the Jeffrey Epstein files crisis might weaken him, her uncle 'isn't the problem anymore.' Mary L. Trump, 60, an outspoken critic of her father's younger brother, was responding to a question Sunday during an 'Ask Me Anything' Q&A session on X about whether she thought the Epstein files would serve as the 'catalyst for the MAGA movement ending over a period of time.' 'Maybe in the long term, but not in the short term,' Mary said. She added that, in the immediate future, the outrage among Trump's base over his handling of the late sex offender's case weakens him 'considerably.' 'This goes right to the heart of his base,' said the psychologist and author, who in 2020 published a tell-all book on Trump, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. But she's far less certain about how things will play out in the long haul, even as the Epstein files bring Trump's personal relationship with the convicted sex offender under an intensifying spotlight. 'Even if it implicates him, nobody's going to indict him,' Mary said, alluding to both the fierce loyalty Trump, 79, has cultivated within his administration and the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for 'official acts.' She then theorized, 'if it did kind of end his reign of power, J.D. Vance becomes president.' 'We need to remember this, it's really important—I'm not saying this shouldn't all play out, because of course it should,' Mary said. 'What I'm saying is, Donald Trump isn't the problem anymore. That's what I'm saying. And we need to be very, very clear about that.' During his second term, Trump has assembled a team of supporters who have fully embraced his MAGA brand of politics, unlike in his first term, when internal pushback would sometimes curb his most extreme ideas. Mary, a psychologist, said Trump is reenacting their family dynamic—one where his father, Fred Trump, controlled everyone in his orbit. She noted, however, that 'Donald is acting like he's always acted.' 'The arrogance was always there. The insecure defensiveness was always there. The bullying was always there,' she said. Mary also claimed that Trump's wild rant about windmills on Sunday is 'evidence of serious cognitive impairment.' The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
CBC
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Permit revoked for MAGA musician's planned Charlottetown performance
The City of Charlottetown has revoked the permit for an upcoming concert by controversial U.S. Christian musician Sean Feucht that was set to take place on land owned by the city. "After consultation with Charlottetown Police Services, the City of Charlottetown has notified the organizer… that their permit has been revoked due to evolving public safety and security concerns," the city said in a news release Wednesday afternoon. "Public safety remains the city's top priority." Feucht, a rising star in the MAGA movement, is a missionary and author who has spoken out against the 2SLGBTQ+ community, abortion rights and critical race theory on his website. He had been scheduled to perform Thursday at Confederation Landing on the Charlottetown waterfront — days before the city marks Pride Fest 2025. Tuesday, the city distanced itself from the scheduled performance, saying it was not a "city-sponsored event" and that it was limited in restricting access to public spaces "from a legal standpoint." In that release, the city said it wanted to be clear in its full support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. revoked that permit after outcry from some residents.
Gizmodo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
The Hashtag That Shows Trump Is Losing Control of MAGA
President Donald Trump is navigating one of the most perilous periods of his two combined terms as a firestorm of controversy over the so-called 'Epstein Files' divides his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and fuels an unprecedented online rebellion against him. The president, a master of online communication, now finds himself on the defensive against a viral pressure campaign from his own supporters. This pressure is coalescing around two single, powerful demands that has spread like wildfire across social media: #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles and #ReleaseEpsteinFiles. At the heart of the outrage is a deep sense of betrayal. For years, the promise to expose a corrupt global elite was the central pillar of the MAGA movement. The sordid saga of Jeffrey Epstein—a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who counted politicians, royals, and billionaires among his associates—was seen by many as the ultimate proof of the 'swamp' Trump had promised to drain. Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 and was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell weeks later. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, a conclusion that has only fueled rampant conspiracy theories and intensified calls for transparency. Now, deep into his second term, many of Trump's most ardent supporters believe he is protecting the very figures he vowed to expose. The hashtag is their tool to voice their profound dissatisfaction. 'Trump was elected in 2016 partly on a pledge to 'lock her up,'' explained influential conservative commentator Matt Walsh in a recent post on X, capturing the mood of the movement. He added: 'Yelling At Us To Stop Talking About Epstein Only Makes Us Talk About Him More.' Trump was elected in 2016 partly on a pledge to 'lock her up.' Arresting and prosecuting powerful and corrupt people has been a core issue for MAGA since its inception. That's what the Epstein issue is about. And it's why the base can't and won't just drop it. — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 16, 2025Social media has become a battleground where users mock the administration's attempts to change the subject. 'I'm going to deport Rosie O'Donnell!' one user on X posted sarcastically, listing recent presidential announcements. 'Coke will now use cane sugar because I told them to!' 'My veins are collapsing and I'm bruising like rotting old fruit!' The user concluded with an expletive-laden message: 'We. Don't. Give.A.F. @realDonaldTrump #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles.' "I'm going to deport Rosie O'Donnell!"🙄"Coke will now use cane sugar because I told them to!"🙄"My veins are collapsing and I'm bruising like rotting old fruit!"🙄 #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles#TrumpPedoFiles — ObamaMama (@ObamaMama11) July 17, 2025The recent and controversial firing of a top federal prosecutor who had reportedly reopened investigations into Epstein's network has thrown gasoline on the fire, leading to accusations of a cover-up. 'Trump wants us to stop talking about the Epstein files but then fires Maurene Comey, the prosecutor who went after Epstein. This is a major coverup by the guilty party, #EpsteinFiles #TrumpPedoFiles #EpsteinClientList #EpsteinTrumpCoverUp #Pedophiles #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles,' another user said. Trump wants us to stop talking about the Epstein files but then fires Maurene Comey, the prosecutor who went after Epstein. This is a major coverup by the guilty party. 😡 #EpsteinFiles #TrumpPedoFiles #EpsteinClientList #EpsteinTrumpCoverUp #Pedophiles #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles — Annie (@AnnieForTruth) July 17, 2025The sentiment is echoed across platforms. Responding to a post listing Epstein's alleged victims, one user simply wrote, '#ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles.' Another asked, 'What reason is there for any elected official to block the release of the Epstein files? There isn't. Unless you're protecting someone who's on them. #ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles #TrumpEpsteinCoverup.' What reason is there for any elected official to block the release of the Epstein files? There isn't. Unless you're protecting someone who's on them.#ReleaseTheEpsteinFiles #TrumpEpsteinCoverup — Susan (@susanlovespups) July 15, 2025For these supporters, the issue transcends politics. They demand the 'list'—the unredacted flight logs, client lists, and documents they believe will finally bring accountability. As one user wrote in capital letters, their motivation is not just curiosity: 'I Want Accountability. It's that simple. #ReleaseEpsteinFiles #TrumpEpsteinPedoFiles.' #ReleaseEpsteinFiles #TrumpEpsteinPedoFiles — StandLikeASuperHero (@ShePersisted001) July 18, 2025On July 18th and 19th alone, hundreds of thousands of similar posts flooded X and other platforms. On his own network, Truth Social, the president is attempting to redirect attention to his administration's accomplishments. But with the MAGA movement in a state of meltdown, it's unclear if anyone is listening. The grassroots rebellion he expertly cultivated to win power is now a force he may not be able to control.
