"MAGA, a movement built around the personality of one man, never amounted to a coherent political force or even a workable coalition."

"As in his first term, Donald Trump now presides over a visibly sinking ship as his approval ratings slide. MAGA, a movement built around the personality of one man, never amounted to a coherent political force or even a workable coalition. Claims that Trump and his lieutenants won a mandate in 2024 and then ‘saved’ the country were always delusional. …

"The ideological divide within MAGA has grown increasingly harsh. Trump is not, at heart, a professional politician. Rather, he is a blend of New York developer and carnival barker. His uneasy alliance with ‘tech bros’, Wall Street insiders and fervent right-wing nativists was never stable. It was held together mostly by Trump himself – and by the awfulness of the Democrats.

"Even as he strikes a populist pose, some people influential in MAGA flirt with ideas like eugenic Darwinism and a permanent ruling aristocracy. Others within MAGA embrace isolationism and attacks on minorities, particularly Jews. Trump rejects such notions, but too many top GOP figures ... seem terrified of alienating the odious Tucker Carlson ... 

"At its worst, MAGA’s hardest faction embraces openly racist groups such as the Proud Boys. There’s also a class element at play. Carlson, himself a product of the upper class, claims to speak for what he sees as ‘core’ Americans – basically middle-class white people – some of whom view immigration and cultural change as existential threats.

"Sadly, this faction [under Vance] could define MAGA after Trump. … even though Trump’s policies may shape the nation’s direction for years, a bit like an unpleasant but necessary [sic] enema. Unless the GOP rediscovers its Reaganite optimism and turns from vengeance to economic renewal, America’s future will likely belong either to the radical socialists or to the oligarch-friendly technocrats. Neither of which would be a desirable outcome."

~ Joel Kotkin from his post 'This is how MAGA falls'