Forum: I hate to admit it, but the MAGA crowd was correct!

Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 21, 2026

What has changed my mind?

Well for starters, Republicans have long waxed profusely about how the country would be better off with a business man running the country instead of “professional politicians “. So Trump set off with his reality show to show case his business acumen to the viewers And potential voters. It worked like a charm: despite inheriting millions from his father to start with, despite several bankruptcies and at least 34 convictions for financial fraud, despite a well known reputation of stiffing suppliers, the viewers decided he was their man.

Next the religious Christian conservatives have long pined for some Christian to step up and deliver a blow to the issue of abortion in this country. Trump began portraying himself as “God fearing” Christian complete with his own personal version of the Bible. All this despite the fact that he was married several times and by his own admission cheated on all his wives. Despite the audio of his interview were he openly admitted to sexually abusing women: “because when your famous they let you do it”. Despite being held legally responsible for sexually abuse another women. Oh and then there is the little thing about the porn star. Despite his own admitted record of never attending church. Despite all that, he was their man: remember King David made many of those same mistakes.

Next: Republicans have long objected to a presidential candidate that didn’t serve in the military. Disregarding their previously held standard, they willing made a person who received several “suspicious” deferments for “bone spurs” to avoid military duty in Vietnam, commander in chief. They lowered their standards despite numerous widely reported spurious remarks about military personnel: as “sucker and losers”.

For years I have listened to Republican leaning friends and relatives complain about the cost social programs and being “taxed to death”. Trump stepped up to the plate on this issue and told them that he had a plan: which when implemented would guarantee that the cost of American government would be paid by the other countries in the world. It would eliminate the need for the income tax. TARIFFS: tariffs on all the goods coming into this country, would be paid by the countries wanting to sell products to the United States. Billions would be generated, guaranteeing the “Golden Age” of America. Something akin to the roaring twenties, I guess. Despite the plan violating the constitutional power of the congress to apply tariffs; despite the warnings of every single serious economist that it would not work that way, he was their man. He knew more than the economists; after all he was a successful businessman.

Now according to most accounts each on of our households payed approximately $1700 extra last year in tariffs and there are some who are predicting it might be as high as $2500 next year. It’s a ingenious plan: it’s not taxes, so they can continue to claim “no tax increase”. Even though we are in reality paying those tariffs ourselves. In the State of the Union Address he doubled down on the claim that other nations are paying the tariffs: by God he is our man!

Then there are all those, mainly anglo men, who are desperate to find someone else to blame for their perceived affronts and lack of economic advancement. Immediately “The Donald” hands them a life line: it’s DEI and those ungrateful, cat and dog eating immigrants that are stealing your opportunities. Just help me rid our country of them and magically your economic and social woes will be over. You will have plenty of opportunities to “clean the toilets and pick fruit”: oh that’s right you don’t want those “demeaning jobs”.

And what happened to their cries about not being the world’s policeman and those endless costly wars: “I will be a peace president”, I am just interested in stopping the loss of life: well maybe not, after they didn’t award me the Nobel Peace Prize.

So here are today: we find ourselves spending an estimated 50 billion dollars a day in another ill conceived, endless war, oh I’m sorry it’s an “temporary excursion”. It’s according to the latest out of the Department of Defense, I am sorry again, my bad: Department of War; a crusade, like the ones of old. Our God helping us and our military out, to eradicate their god and their military. The Donald didn’t learn the lesson of Vietnam because he never had any skin in that game: only bone spurs.

Let me remind you that the General who led the allies to victory in WWII, the Republican president who on retirement warned the nation, that the serious threat, was and still is the military and industrial complex, who get rich on wars. That’s not me saying that, it was a REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT!

As I said in the beginning: Donald Trump is a genius!

Can you find under which shell the pea is hidden?

Your answer may determine not only you future, but the future of your children and grandchildren: those roaring twenties didn’t end well did they?

Phil O’Loane lives in Arlington.