Thank you Gabe for the historical perspective, which has me thinking about the longterm consequences to our government. Reading these CECOT testimonies, as my blood continues boiling, I keep thinking: how do we help MAGA voters understand that the executive powers they’re celebrating today will inevitably be wielded by presidents they despise tomorrow? Not because I want anyone subjected to this horror, but because making this connection visible might be the only way to pump the brakes on these constitutional violations before they become normalized.
The challenge is finding messengers and examples that resonate. Perhaps veteran Republicans could speak to how quickly the tables turn. Maybe we need to be more explicit in our hypotheticals: “Imagine President AOC having the power to deport Proud Boys to foreign prisons without trial.” Or: “What if Biden had used these same powers against January 6th participants?”
Social media might be where this message gains traction… for instance explaining how surveillance laws passed after 9/11 ended up monitoring every American citizen for things unrelated to terrorism. Historical parallels that show the pattern: your team creates the weapon, the other team inherits it. Conservative libertarians who already distrust government power could be natural allies in spreading this message within MAGA circles.
The most effective approach might be focusing on local figures they trust—sheriffs, pastors, local talk radio hosts—who can frame this as protecting their own communities from future government overreach. “Do you really want to give President Newsom the power to disappear people without trial?” might land differently coming from someone they see as on their side. Because once these precedents are set, once courts validate deportation without due process, that becomes the law for every future president.
If we can mitigate MAGA voters’ lust for blood by convincing them it’s against their own self interests, can we perhaps save this country from sliding further down the dictator slope? I don’t know, but this is where my brain keeps going. I can’t think of any way of stopping this train to hell except by convincing people they don’t actually want what they voted for.
Timothy, I agree, that convincing MAGAs this is not in their self-interest is a good plan. Except my dad was one of those people that would go against his self-interest. In our family, we called it “cutting off your nose to spite your face.” You can also call it “taking one for the team.” Hopefully, they’re a minority.
The larger flaw I see is that MAGAs never plan to leave office. In their mind, there will never be another team to inherit the weapon they’ve created.
Oh right! Silly me, I forgot about them openly talking about making elections obsolete 😌 I guess there will always be those willing to die on their hill for no personal gain as long as it means suffering for others, but we don’t need to convince the extremists to switch sides in order to win. We just need the same amount of people who were exhausted by Trump in 2020 to recognize their error in 2024. Thanks for the constructive feedback!
This strategy makes sense to me. And this could be key: "Conservative libertarians who already distrust government power could be natural allies in spreading this message within MAGA circles." That is, unless they are decried as RINOs.
This isn’t immigration reform. This isn’t removing only criminals. Not that I think they should be treated this way either, we are better than criminals, right? This itself should be criminal. This should make everyone say, not this way.
Gödel’s doomsday loophole seems to be plural. This administration is tearing down all kinds of norms that we thought were laws, in pursuit of sadistic vengeance. We’ll need an army of lawyers to undo the damage and build a stronger American democracy 2.0 when this is over.
I truly hope there be justice for these kidnapped/detained victims and that this administration, especially the key figures behind these atrocities, be made to pay for their role in these kidnappings and unlawful detainment. What have we become? Do we seriously want to morph into this lawless, out-of-control, violent nation with no regard for a person's rights, liberty, or pursuit of happiness? Dear God, no. We must resist!
This is not okay. We all need to be pushing back against how they are treating people. This same treatment is happening on American soil in Florida. These stories need to be getting more attention in National News but they are so afraid to report anything that will get them fired. We are not in a good place.
Reading the accounts of those men in CECOT made me sick to my stomach. It’s all so chaotic and awful that real live people have to get caught up in this political theater. These stories need to be shared far and wide.
I hate, to the very depths of my soul, EVERY SINGLE PERSON who either voted for trump, didn’t vote for president at all because you know “that woman” was bad for the U.S., or voted third party because Palestinians were being attacked. The lack of morality and character they ALL had towards this country is staggering. I am not in the “we made a mistake so let’s accept them back into the fold” crowd. I’m in the “I hope every horrible issue this administration hands down makes their lives miserable” crowd. He was already president, they knew how inept and uncaring he was. He told people exactly what he was going to do, and they wrote it off as just talk. I hate them and I hope their lives are ruined.
Sadly, we've seen incredible damage to what has become a very fragile republic in only six months (seems like years) of this Trump regime. Congress, particularly the Senate, has approved an entire cabinet of unqualified and dangerous appointees who are there for one reason - do whatever the despot demands. It has become increasingly clear that Trump has no real clue what he's doing other than blindly following the radical plan the ultra right prepared. In Iowa, we are seeing the same thing. An incompetent governor is dismantling education, taking away long held worker rights, and following the playbook resulting in a once collaborative two party system being destroyed. MAGATs go along blindly believing every promise being made. They can’t provide answers when asked about their government's transgressions, but continue to vote for these people. Any ONE transgression used to be enough to ruin a politician. Now Iowa has a Senator who has had inappropriate relationships with military lobbyists and told us our public safety net being dismantled is ok because, “we're all going to die." We have a convicted felon, abuser of multiple women, crooked businessman as supreme leader. We have an alcoholic leading the military. We have a nutcase who his entire family disavowed ruining our health system. Where does it stop? Or does it? I feel like I’m watching some dystopian movie and am waiting for the resistance to rise and stop it. But will it?
I fear that until MAGA realizes that the power wielded against those they hate today can be turned on them tomorrow, we will not see a change of heart. That we, as a nation, can care so little for our neighbors is horrifying to me, although the scarier part is how quickly many of us are willing to abandon the principles on which this nation was founded. This isn't the land of the free and the home of the brave if we ignore the core tenets of what makes us free.
I hope that someone smarter than me can figure out a way to reach the half of the country that didn't vote, because without those people voting in the next election, we may be hard-pressed to ever have a chance to fix any of this mess.
Thank you for this reporting. We need to hold our government accountable for this.
Thank you Gabe for the historical perspective, which has me thinking about the longterm consequences to our government. Reading these CECOT testimonies, as my blood continues boiling, I keep thinking: how do we help MAGA voters understand that the executive powers they’re celebrating today will inevitably be wielded by presidents they despise tomorrow? Not because I want anyone subjected to this horror, but because making this connection visible might be the only way to pump the brakes on these constitutional violations before they become normalized.
The challenge is finding messengers and examples that resonate. Perhaps veteran Republicans could speak to how quickly the tables turn. Maybe we need to be more explicit in our hypotheticals: “Imagine President AOC having the power to deport Proud Boys to foreign prisons without trial.” Or: “What if Biden had used these same powers against January 6th participants?”
Social media might be where this message gains traction… for instance explaining how surveillance laws passed after 9/11 ended up monitoring every American citizen for things unrelated to terrorism. Historical parallels that show the pattern: your team creates the weapon, the other team inherits it. Conservative libertarians who already distrust government power could be natural allies in spreading this message within MAGA circles.
The most effective approach might be focusing on local figures they trust—sheriffs, pastors, local talk radio hosts—who can frame this as protecting their own communities from future government overreach. “Do you really want to give President Newsom the power to disappear people without trial?” might land differently coming from someone they see as on their side. Because once these precedents are set, once courts validate deportation without due process, that becomes the law for every future president.
If we can mitigate MAGA voters’ lust for blood by convincing them it’s against their own self interests, can we perhaps save this country from sliding further down the dictator slope? I don’t know, but this is where my brain keeps going. I can’t think of any way of stopping this train to hell except by convincing people they don’t actually want what they voted for.
Timothy, I agree, that convincing MAGAs this is not in their self-interest is a good plan. Except my dad was one of those people that would go against his self-interest. In our family, we called it “cutting off your nose to spite your face.” You can also call it “taking one for the team.” Hopefully, they’re a minority.
The larger flaw I see is that MAGAs never plan to leave office. In their mind, there will never be another team to inherit the weapon they’ve created.
Oh right! Silly me, I forgot about them openly talking about making elections obsolete 😌 I guess there will always be those willing to die on their hill for no personal gain as long as it means suffering for others, but we don’t need to convince the extremists to switch sides in order to win. We just need the same amount of people who were exhausted by Trump in 2020 to recognize their error in 2024. Thanks for the constructive feedback!
This strategy makes sense to me. And this could be key: "Conservative libertarians who already distrust government power could be natural allies in spreading this message within MAGA circles." That is, unless they are decried as RINOs.
That’s a great strategy, Timothy.
This isn’t immigration reform. This isn’t removing only criminals. Not that I think they should be treated this way either, we are better than criminals, right? This itself should be criminal. This should make everyone say, not this way.
Gödel’s doomsday loophole seems to be plural. This administration is tearing down all kinds of norms that we thought were laws, in pursuit of sadistic vengeance. We’ll need an army of lawyers to undo the damage and build a stronger American democracy 2.0 when this is over.
Wow. Are there no limits which our government is permitted to breach in the name of so called justice?? What about humanity? I am sickened by this
I truly hope there be justice for these kidnapped/detained victims and that this administration, especially the key figures behind these atrocities, be made to pay for their role in these kidnappings and unlawful detainment. What have we become? Do we seriously want to morph into this lawless, out-of-control, violent nation with no regard for a person's rights, liberty, or pursuit of happiness? Dear God, no. We must resist!
This is not okay. We all need to be pushing back against how they are treating people. This same treatment is happening on American soil in Florida. These stories need to be getting more attention in National News but they are so afraid to report anything that will get them fired. We are not in a good place.
Reading the accounts of those men in CECOT made me sick to my stomach. It’s all so chaotic and awful that real live people have to get caught up in this political theater. These stories need to be shared far and wide.
Gabe, thank you for writing this.
In my opinion, the flaw is that there is no mechanism to enforce Supreme Court decisions. Therefore, the constitution is toothless.
We’ve known that since at least the genocidal monster Andrew Jackson, who’s on our $20 bill.
Feels like we are experiencing a terrible train wreck in slow motion. What can we do?? Depressing.
The treatment of the prisoners is awful! I hope they get the mental help they need after that torture. What have we become?
I hate, to the very depths of my soul, EVERY SINGLE PERSON who either voted for trump, didn’t vote for president at all because you know “that woman” was bad for the U.S., or voted third party because Palestinians were being attacked. The lack of morality and character they ALL had towards this country is staggering. I am not in the “we made a mistake so let’s accept them back into the fold” crowd. I’m in the “I hope every horrible issue this administration hands down makes their lives miserable” crowd. He was already president, they knew how inept and uncaring he was. He told people exactly what he was going to do, and they wrote it off as just talk. I hate them and I hope their lives are ruined.
Sadly, we've seen incredible damage to what has become a very fragile republic in only six months (seems like years) of this Trump regime. Congress, particularly the Senate, has approved an entire cabinet of unqualified and dangerous appointees who are there for one reason - do whatever the despot demands. It has become increasingly clear that Trump has no real clue what he's doing other than blindly following the radical plan the ultra right prepared. In Iowa, we are seeing the same thing. An incompetent governor is dismantling education, taking away long held worker rights, and following the playbook resulting in a once collaborative two party system being destroyed. MAGATs go along blindly believing every promise being made. They can’t provide answers when asked about their government's transgressions, but continue to vote for these people. Any ONE transgression used to be enough to ruin a politician. Now Iowa has a Senator who has had inappropriate relationships with military lobbyists and told us our public safety net being dismantled is ok because, “we're all going to die." We have a convicted felon, abuser of multiple women, crooked businessman as supreme leader. We have an alcoholic leading the military. We have a nutcase who his entire family disavowed ruining our health system. Where does it stop? Or does it? I feel like I’m watching some dystopian movie and am waiting for the resistance to rise and stop it. But will it?
My God! This is not OK.
The depravity of this is horrifying beyond words.
I fear that until MAGA realizes that the power wielded against those they hate today can be turned on them tomorrow, we will not see a change of heart. That we, as a nation, can care so little for our neighbors is horrifying to me, although the scarier part is how quickly many of us are willing to abandon the principles on which this nation was founded. This isn't the land of the free and the home of the brave if we ignore the core tenets of what makes us free.
I hope that someone smarter than me can figure out a way to reach the half of the country that didn't vote, because without those people voting in the next election, we may be hard-pressed to ever have a chance to fix any of this mess.