Quarrels, betrayals and divisions. The Trump camp has plunged into a fratricidal power struggle. “Loyalty crumbles”
The MAGA movement has long been seen as remarkably cohesive. Those who gathered around the president argued loudly with political opponents, but rarely with each other. That time has passed.
Today, deep fissures run through the American right, from influential commentators to the Republican Party itself. For the first time, the anger of the MAGA movement is not only directed outwards, but also against itself. One question now became crucial.
Who will fill the void left by Charlie Kirk's death?
One of the factors that caused the breakdown of unity in the MAGA camp is the death of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. Kirk was a key figure on the American right.
He organized the young generation, gave commentators a stage and ideologically moved the movement to the right. By organizing numerous debates and events, he had a major influence on who was considered radical but acceptable to the right – and who should be condemned for their views. Since he's been gone, there's been no one who could credibly take over that role.
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The annual right-wing conference AmericaFest showed how much the vacuum he left behind destabilized the MAGA movement. The event quickly turned into a show of strength among the various factions in the MAGA movement. The conference was dominated by open disputes. Influencers attacked each other, accusing each other of lies, cowardice or anti-Semitism.
The symbolic figure of this conflict is Candace Owens. She is one of the most famous right-wing voices in the USA. She is provocative, has a huge reach and is not willing to compromise. Some time ago, she became famous for her dispute with Brigitte Macron – because she suggested that the French president's wife was a man.
Candace OwensJason Davis / Contributor / Getty Images
After Kirk's death, he spreads conspiracy theories about the circumstances of his death – despite public pleas from his widow, Erika Kirk, to stop. For many conservatives, this was breaking a taboo. Others defended Owens, arguing for freedom of speech. This dispute reveals a fundamental problem with Trump's MAGA movement: influence on the right is increasingly measured not by political accountability, but by the number of online video views.
The issue of Israel is one of the main points of contention. For decades, support for the Jewish state was common to all Republican factions. However, skepticism is growing in MAGA circles – and across ideological lines. Distrust towards foreign missions and “foreign wars” unites libertarian isolationists, Christian ideologists and anti-system influencers.
Those who criticize Israel are, to some, brave. For others, they are traitors to a fundamental pillar of conservative politics. Candace Owens's opposition to US support for Israel only perpetuates divisions in the Trump camp.
The MAGA movement is falling into a trap of its own making
However, another issue is causing the most controversy on the American right. It does not concern commentators and influencers, but the Trump administration itself and the base of voters who supported the Republican Party.
It concerns the files of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. For the right, he has become a symbol of an allegedly all-powerful elite that exploits children and is protected by the state. Trump and his allies consciously referred to this narrative when announcing the release of the files during the election campaign. For many MAGA supporters, Epstein has become key evidence that the system is broken.
When the Trump administration finally declassified some of the documents, there was disappointment among the Republican base. The files were mostly censored and did not contain any new, important information. Although Trump's name came up in the context of the investigation, no criminal charges have been brought against the president. All this confusion has led to a crisis of confidence among Republican supporters.
The Justice Department, now run by people close to Trump, halted further publications for a time. Justice Secretary Pam Bondi spoke about transparency, but was called a liar on right-wing internet forums and in comments.
Public anger and pressure on the Trump administration, including from Republicans, finally led to a change in the approach of the authorities and the president himself. More files on the sex offender's case are gradually being released, causing further controversy.
The anger stems from Americans' growing sense that the government is guided by double standards. Influencers who previously spoke tirelessly about the “deep state” now defend Trump or remain silent. Others attack them for this attitude and accuse them of betrayal.
The MAGA movement is falling into a trap of its own making. The Trump camp based its political capital on distrust of state institutions. Now the distrust of the voter base is directed against the Republican Party elites. Political scientist Joe Uscinski put it aptly in an interview with the BBC:
many never just wanted to see the records. They wanted confirmation of what they believed. When they don't get it, loyalty breaks down.
The closer we get to the end of Trump's term, the more tensions on the right will become more visible. The AmericaFest conference shows an ideological conflict, and the Epstein case – a problem with morality on the right. The MAGA movement is deeply divided internally.
