UPDATE AFTER MEETING MAGA! Ref: I'm meeting a MAGA tonight. If you had to tell him what is wrong with MAGA

[Doodley]

Last edited Sun Jun 29, 2025, 12:51 PM - Edit history (1)

in a brief sentence, what would you say? Something that is hard for a MAGA to argue about. It could be phrased as a statement or a question. Thank you to anyone who helps! Also, I don't want to insult him or call him names!




UPDATE AFTER MEETING


Sorry if this gets boring!

Thank you for all the replies. I took them all on board.

Okay, we went half-an-hour general catching up and friendly chit chat, me my wife, her MAGA cousin and his wife. I bit my tongue a few times as my wife said she rarely sees her cousin and doesn't want a bust up (that I have a history of). Then my wife mentioned how we had been to Israel when she threw a coin in a pond and wish I'd propose to her.

Her cousin then asked what we thought about Iran and Israel and Trump bombing nuclear sites. Well, I wasn't going to let that pass. He did ask. I said everything I wanted to say about that, despite my wife giving me the eye and gritting her teeth. I just kept talking. I said Trump had warned Iran through his social media posts, how Iran therefore had the time to get uranium and equipment out, and how he's not interested in the facts of how much damage was done to their program, and what that means about how genuine Trump's concern is. The shocker was that my wife's cousin agreed and said he was very unhappy that Trump was getting involved after saying he wouldn't get get involved in any wars. As he talked, I literally couldn't control my emotions and felt my eyes welling up. He was so pissed at Trump about this. I felt relief that he could see fault in Trump and maybe other MAGAs can too.

I followed it up by saying that under the BB bill millions would lose in Medicaid cuts and it would hit hospitals and nursing homes, and people would die, but people making millions would be better off and the national debt would soar as a result. He argued about it and said he didn't think that what I was saying was true. I had been very emotional and my wife chipped in and said that I would lose my marketplace healthcare tax credit (she's okay because she's on disability). I asked her cousin to do some research to find out and let me know what he finds. I asked in the nicest way. He agreed. At that point, the conversation turned towards my wife's aunt who has been sick, and I felt I would not say anything to jeopardize the agreement we had that he would look at the effects of the BBB.

Thank you again to everyone. Obviously, it didn't go as expected. It was the best MAGA meeting I've had, as usually I come up against a wall of MAGA catchphrases and misinformation and voices get raised or yelling ensues. He's been a hardline MAGA and there are cracks there. It gave me a little bit of optimism.

[Arazi]

1. MAGA has driven a stake into the soul of America

As deeply divisive as the Civil War

[kentuck]

4. I agree...

that the country is deeply divided.

[Arazi]

10. MAGA has diminished the US in every way

Domestically and internationally.

We are not great at all at the moment.

[Doodley]

17. Yes! People don't want to come to America anymore. We are in a deep recession when it comes to international travel and

tourism. How is that America first?

[Eliot Rosewater]

76. The most disgusting and stupid piece of shit on earth

Has appealed somehow to about 70 million Americans, think about what that says about those 70 million Americans that are our neighbors.

I don’t wanna live in the same country as people that ugly and stupid and racist and bigoted and etc. I do not

[chouchou]

2. "With all I have respect, my position is MAGA people have not researched...

...your best choices of the current politicians".

[taxi]

3. How about

The biggest thing wrong with MAGA is being against those who I consider to be kind, open minded, and reasonable people.

[Doodley]

18. Good one!

[TheProle]

49. Yes, great point, and to put it more bluntly,

MAGA appeals to the worst impulses of human nature and they should look inward at the reasons behind their appetites for cruelty.

[kentuck]

5. By the time you learn the truth, it will be too late.

One side of the apple is bright and shiny and the other side has a worm hole in it.

[haele]

6. MAGA is against both the US Constitution and the Bible.

They're greedy hucksters and bullies following the principles of Jefferson Davis and Hitler.
Constantly butt-hurt snowflakes who think the World owes them and are afraid sharing might lead to caring about some one or something other than them.

[Doodley]

19. Good points! Thanks.

[surfered]

7. MAGA does not believe in the rule of law.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. Quote Stephen Colbert to him, just don't tell him who said this:

"“If this is going to be a Christian nation (as MAGA folks would have us believe) that doesn't help the poor (or the immigrant or the sick or the imprisoned, to extend the comparison) , either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.”

Parenthesis and underline emphasis mine

[Doodley]

20. Yes, Jesus didn't ask to see anyone's paperwork before helping them.

[Vinca]

9. MAGA should read the Constitution.

[uponit7771]

11. Tell them you agree with Trump's green nuclear power position, measure knowledge and response

... (**Trump's nuke power position is fairly progressive) then you'll know if the person wants to talk or argue

** Doesn't matter if his Nike power position is progressive or not Trump is stupid and surrounded by even dumber sociopaths so chances of execution are low.

[Doodley]

21. Good idea!

[Prairie Gates]

12. I would say "Sorry, we can't meet tonight. I don't hang out with fascist trash."

I mean, you asked...

[Doodley]

22. I would like to do that!

[UTUSN]

28. Bingo!

Last edited Wed Jul 2, 2025, 02:25 PM - Edit history (2)

[cadoman]

13. I do not support fascism, racism, misogyny, or homophobia, and it hurts my heart that you do.

I know that somewhere inside all that hate that MAGA has filled you with, there is still an evolved human.

[Doodley]

23. Good ideas. I will make it in the third person, so I will say: "I don't understand the hate many MAGAs have, I

obviously don't include you!"

[vanlassie]

39. That's weasel wording. It's not true that

it obviously doesn’t include them. So it sounds insincere. No need to pre-pardon them.

[calimary]

78. Well, there IS that.

[Efilroft Sul]

14. Our ancestors fought Nazis in WWII, and MAGA has become the very same, very unAmerican people.

[flvegan]

15. I'd have to first question why I'm "meeting a MAGA tonight" before

I could begin to fashion what I'd tell him/her/it in a brief sentence.

Yeah, thought about it, couldn't come up with a good reason.

[Doodley]

25. Wife's cousin. I have to support my wife because I love her, and won't support her by boycotting her family.

[Wifes husband]

53. I still would not do it.

My wife would either understand or not. Cannot help how she feels. If you feel you have to go, just stay quiet and don't talk very much.

Nothing you can say will change their mind, trust me, I know, so just sit in the corner.

[Doodley]

64. That's how I was thinking, but I went it was okay.

[Wifes husband]

83. I had a simular experience with my brother in law

I am sympathetic, but I swore never again. You have to draw a line somewhere, and letting children starve for a tax break is it for me.

[flvegan]

63. So confronting this MAGA cousin like this is going to

"support" your wife, then?

Ok. Might best to just be present and stay quiet if that's the reason.

[Doodley]

66. I have caused family gatherings to end badly. I have to walk the line.

[Tribetime]

16. Fox news is lying to you

[CrispyQ]

59. And they had to pay 3/4 of a billion $$ for lying to their audience. -nt

[Doodley]

67. I hope they have to pay the same again to Gavin Newsom!

[sakabatou]

24. "Would you let ICE deport a US citizen if they looked a certain ethnicity?"

[Skittles]

26. they put Trump above country

it is fucking disgusting

[Brenda]

27. Do you think it is acceptable

for masked men with weapons to not show ID and kidnap people off the streets of America?

[Doodley]

68. That is a good question.

[FadedMullet]

29. I can't think of anything that Trump has done, or proposed to do, to help Americans live a better life, except perhaps..

.....for the taxpayers in the top ten percent. Can you think something like that?

[Qutzupalotl]

30. I believe in checks and balances.

We fought a war to not have a king in America. MAGA wants to give complete power to one man.

Question: What happens when he dies or leaves office? Would you be okay with giving dictatorial powers to someone like Bill Clinton or Barack Obama? Because that’s where you’re headed. I think it’s better to stop it now before it goes any farther.

[Doodley]

69. Very good question!

[anciano]

31. FWIW, since it's family, I would avoid a political discussion...

but if he brings up politics, I would just smile, shrug and say something like "that's above my pay grade". In this particular situation, I don't see any upside to getting into a possible argument that no one would win....

Good luck!

[CrispyQ]

60. That's what a good German would do.

We're beyond being polite. People are being snatched off the streets in broad daylight by men without ID or warrants & disappeared!! Where's the upside to that?

To the OP, ask if he still believes in the 5th Amendment or the Constitution.

[Doodley]

70. I agree with your sentiment. I have caused many bust ups in family gatherings, but what does it achieve? Nothing.

[Lonestarblue]

32. ICE agents wear masks to hide their identities and they refuse to show ID.

Sexual predators are now wearing fake ICE or Police shirts attempting to force young women into cars. They attack white women as well as black and brown ones. What would you tell daughter or granddaughter to avoid being caught in this situation? Police are required to have a warrant and show ID? Why isn’t ICE so citizens are protected?

[Kaleva]

33. Take the opposite approach and crank up the crazy to 11

Examples:

ICE should be able to arrest and deport anyone who can’t prove they are MAGA.

Only white people should be allowed to have guns.

Judges who rule against Trump should be arrested and tried for treason.

[Doodley]

71. That's where we're heading.

[calimary]

79. The only problem there is - they won't get it.

They’ll just assume you’re a recent convert.

But then again, that might be a shrewd way to “disarm” them. Hmmmmmm… wonder what mischief could result…

[womanofthehills]

35. I just avoid politics with my MAGA friends

Why even go there? We have other interests in common I would rather interact on.

Good friends are hard to come by -
Criticizing people never ends well.

[Arazi]

36. Sounds like your MAGA friends are polite and the OP is facing one who is not

The MAGAts in my life are confrontational and constantly turn the conversation to Traitor bullshit.

Having a response prepared for incoming MAGA shit is pro-active when confronted with their firehouse of lies 😞

[Doodley]

72. That is exactly what I am used to. Please see my updated OP. Things didn't go as expected.

[Arazi]

74. I saw that and well done!

I hate that my years of MAGA experience have been so miserable.

I’m incredibly defensive now and I’m relieved your wife’s family member might be reachable.

[anciano]

37. Agree.

Well said.

[Bluestocking]

45. MAGA and friend don't exist in my world

[Wifes husband]

65. I will not have a MAGA as a friend

Being a MAGA is a deal breaker for me. Children are dying because of them.

[gordianot]

38. Since I had to meet with you, I did.

Say what you were supposed to say then say goodbye. I cannot imagine any circumstance I would have to meet with one I despise them to the same degree as their idol.

[Doodley]

73. I fill up with dread and revulsion having to meet some of my wife's family.

[Mysterian]

40. No respect for the constitution and American values

Leading us down the road to dictatorship.

[Hekate]

41. "Sorry I can't meet tonight. I'm grieving for the Great American Experiment."

[Raven123]

42. Accept that you cannot accomplish this goal.

Not worth your time and energy. Life is too short to try educate the willfully ignorant

[snot]

43. Why focus on why MAGA's wrong, instead of looking for common cause?

I find that a good starting point is our failure to prosecute the Wall St. banksters who caused the 2008 Great Financial Crash – instead, we bailed them out, allowed them to give themselves the biggest bonuses of their lives, and put them in charge of "fixing" economy. And we still haven't recovered. There are a lot of people who recognize that Wall St. has been sucking the real economy dry for decades.

There's also a lot of agreement that on way or another, we've been spending too much on defense. The Pentagon just failed its 7th audit; DOGE promised to include them in their efforts, but never touched it. A lot of MAGAts aren't too happy about that, and neither am I.

Another area of concern for people on all points of the political spectrum is mass, warrantless surveillance of US citizens. MAGAts may think it's a great idea when used against undocumented immigrants, but most of them aren't so keen on being surveilled themselves – look at what happened to the Jan. 6'ers.

And a lot of people are also concerned about free speech. Republicans used to complain about conservative voices being censored; now the party's eager to censor critics of Israel's actions in Gaza; but I think a lot of us on the ground are willing to put up with having to hear political opinions we don't agree with if it means we can speak and be heard about our own.

Liberals and conservatives may disagree about the details and solutions, but I find that most MAGAts & most genuinely progressive Dems share more concerns about the oligarchy, the MIC, Big Pharma, etc. than you'd ever guess just listening to either the conservative or the liberal MSM, both of which tend to focus on hot-button wedge issues (in part becuase they too are owned by the oligarchs).

So yeah, instead of arguing, I'd try to listen, and look for common ground. You may not chang any minds today, but you might start bridging the divide. And divided we fall, and all that.

[Doodley]

75. Many good points. Please see my OP with an update of how it went. We found some common ground.

[Wifes husband]

82. Screw that

I will not discuss a damn thing with people who think it is ok to let children starve, so they can get a tax break.

[mcar]

44. Why are you all so angry?

You got everything you wanted.

[John Farmer]

46. When did you discard

the teachings of Christ?

[calimary]

80. Ooooooh, that's a good one!

[kerry-is-my-prez]

47. They are taking over preserves and parks to build detention centers.

They’re currently building one in the middle of the Everglades. I was speaking to a woman who lives there who says she’s not seeing the usual birds since they started building a few days ago,

They had a protest a few days ago. That is one thing that Republicans get pissed about - their parks and preserves.

[hamsterjill]

48. Why on earth are you spending time with a MAGA?

That’s a question for you! Get them out of your life.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

50. The tax cuts and tariffs are going to be a big loser soon.

[Doodley]

77. I agree with that!

[OC375]

51. Mirror

Tell him MAGA is become the darkness it professes to oppose. It is extremism, and by extension, the very thing it says it despises. It is, by all accounts, nothing new, and ultimately will be its own demise as it kills the freedoms that allow it to exist. It is folly.

[purple_haze]

52. Be weary and self-reflective

and look within your mind for ideological possession and the cult-of-personality. No president is God. Be honest with yourself.

[UpInArms]

54. If everything that the republicans do is okay with you

You might want to wonder if you have become a cult

[berniesandersmittens]

55. The billionaire class is stealing from the working class and the poor.

Tax breaks for the super wealthy at the expense of poor folk's healthcare does not create jobs.

Double down on the extreme greed and indifference of the super rich ruling class. Tell them drumpf only looks out for his billionaire buddies.

[Jirel]

56. Insult the bastard.

Seriously. All you should be saying is “You are a fascist, wholly deplorable and personally responsible for the death of our constitutional democracy.”

[SuzyandPuffpuff]

57. I'd ask....

Do Yu have a pet? Do Yu enjoy your yard? Do you enjoy taking your grandkids to the park? Camping? Do Yu feed birds or have a hummingbird feeder?? If Yu answered "yes" to any of these questions...how can you condone a human being that is so clueless about having a soul? Only people with souls enjoy these things? Than walk away. I've done this. Leaves them stunned.

[marble falls]

58. Fuc ... drop dea ...er ... I ust can't do it.

[Abolishinist]

61. "It seems you are OK with hundreds of thousands

of adults and children dying since you and your likeminded souls voted him into office".

http://ncronline.org/news/its-just-really-really-tragic

[hatrack]

62. Well . . .

MAGA cult members have a view of reality about as broad as that of a carpenter ant trying to take in the Grand Canyon, and a sense of gullibility wider than a rich man's grave.

[calimary]

81. Ooooooooh, that stings.

Wonder if they’d even get it.