Among the selfless things I do for my beloved readers, paying some attention to Trump’s True Believers has to be near the top of the list.
Think of MAGA like a glacial iceburg. That’s calving. The number of defectors is on the rise, but like in a cult, there’s still a lot of True Believers who literally cannot find it in themselves to criticize the foreign policy of the best President since maybe Lincoln.
After listening to Lindsey Graham and others of them express absolute appreciation for Trump’s Middle East war, I’ve come to this conclusion. Their anxiety is different than yours and mine.
They are not worried about . . .
- healthcare access and affordability
- rising prices for things like food, insurance, and gas
- increasing incidents of gun-related violence
- the impact of environmental degradation on their daily lives
- polarization in politics and the future of democracy
- the rise of Artificial Intelligence and it’s inevitable impact on job security
- housing costs, or about the future of Social Security, or about whether they’ll ever be able to retire
- their families and their mental health and well-being
- the quality and accessibility of education. . .
Nearly as much as they are about the Iran’s nuclear capabilities. When they wake up, they seemingly ask themselves, “Is today the day?”
All of us are anxious. But the roots of the True Believer’s anxiety and most of ours are radically different.
Pressing Pause 
Weeks before, I asked this question to a male student I got to know nearly 10 years ago during my sabbatical at Azusa Pacific, who now works as a mental health therapist counseling males in Wisconsin.
He tells me many of his clients who are saddled with afflictions including poverty but they will not give up their MAGA beliefs. He also told me that many of his classmates are like the people you describe. Their living standards put them well above the afflictions you have described.
Revelation dawn is one person at a time. Like this MAGA believer: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/25/caitlyn-jenner-trump-israel-russell-brand-ghislaine-maxwell
Reading this article: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/26/gen-z-divide-data-politics
I realized my student friend turned mental health therapist belongs squarely in the Gen Z 1.0. He is a staunch Democrat and canvasses the vote in Wisconsin.