MAGA's Cultural Moment Has Passed - Trumpism Never Achieved True Cultural Coolness
Source: Mary Harris. "Trumpism was not and will never be cool.." February 13, 2026. slate.com
The Gist
The author argues that while Trump and MAGA seemed to be winning culturally when big tech leaders and media figures supported him, this was just surface-level. Now that Trump has been back in office for a year, the culture has turned against him again, proving that Trumpism was never truly cool and never will be.
Conclusion
Trumpism was never genuinely cool and will never become cool, despite temporary appearances of cultural dominance
Premises
- There was a brief moment when tech CEOs and media moguls aligned with Trump, creating an illusion of cultural acceptance
- Demographic trends initially appeared to favor right-wing politics
- Trumpism seemed too significant to dismiss during this period
- After a year of Trump back in office, cultural sentiment has shifted against MAGA
- The culture now demands 'Woke 2.0' as a response to Trump's return
- Bad Bunny's influence demonstrates that MAGA has become 'cringe' rather than 'based'
Assumptions
- Cultural 'coolness' is measurable and matters for political movements
- Celebrity and elite endorsements indicate genuine cultural acceptance
- Pop culture figures like Bad Bunny represent authentic cultural sentiment
- There is a meaningful distinction between appearing dominant and being genuinely cool
- Cultural trends follow predictable cycles of action and reaction