This piece originally appeared in Rawstory:
You can hear the whispering in the White House across the Mall from the Smithsonian Aviation Museum, “Well, that didn’t work, and that’s bad – really bad,” talking about the “Great American State Fair.”
Aaron Rupar, the Left’s irreplacable and most deeply embedded intel agent, captured Fox News’s inability to paper over a debacle devoid of people.
Did the rapture happen overnight? Fox & Friends is broadcasting from a completely empty Trump state fair on the National Mall.
There seems to be little risk in ruling out the rapture as an explanation. After all, we’re still here, and if one actually reads the Gospels, whether you consider those words divine or secular, the message marks Jesus as history’s most influential progressive, and thus liberals who follow Jesus’s real message sit firmly ensconced pretty much anywhere but the Great American State Fair.
To be fair, no one’s followers bothered to show up, either, and that’s both good and bad, certainly more good than bad, but still…
This week marks this nation’s 250th birthday, a date which any self-respecting nation should find notable enough to stand somewhat proud, or if not proud, a nation populated by committed citizens, people with at least interest or agency. And there’s our first clue to the problem, the “self-respecting nation” part.
Most liberals believe that the Trump regime exists, at least in large part, to block us from respecting what remains “our” country. No shame in that, he does call us the nation’s biggest “enemies.” It would be bizarre to feel warm loyalty to a country whose leader labels you not just an outsider, but an outsider for whom he has plans, dark plans
More interestingly, it looks undeniable that even MAGA has lost respect for the country under Trump.
Interesting. They are the ones who use “MAGA” interchangeably with “Patriot.” It is probably even more important to note that, while the stereotypical liberal enjoys workshopping their latest novel at an effete coffee shop, or attending a MOMA somewhere, not even MAGAs will deny that they were born to attend a good fair, with a rodeo, country or gospel music, those corny games that promise stuffed animals bigger than your date, and a good elephant ear. (Stop here for a moment. Once a decade, a good elephant ear is really, really good. Liberalism can also be practical, and coffee is only coffee, whereas an elephant ear…)
And yet the MAGAs born to be there didn’t show up, either. So what’s up?
First, the practical – very practical. There are fewer and fewer Americans who can travel nationally to attend an actual State fair, never mind travel to one of America’s most expensive cities to enjoy a “National Fair.” Survey after survey shows that Americans’ primary concern is “affordability,” and thus likely plan to spend less money even at the county fair. So the price of literally everything, from gas to food, is likely holding a lot of people back.
But let’s get to the reason behind those White House whispers.
Like anything else undertaken by the federal government under this regime, Trump himself stamped personal ownership on this event. Up to this point in history, Trump affiliation alone – a fair masquerading as rally, would motivate many MAGAs to sacrifice the prices and show their support. And yet, not only are they not showing up, but the White House likely senses this may be less about “affordability” and more about “affiliation.” It has been a long time since Trump has had a clear win, polling is way down, and he seems doomed to some clear losses in the near future. Everyone, even MAGAs – maybe especially MAGAs, are weary of close association with a clear loser.
It might go even deeper. It might well be that even MAGA has its limits as to what it will let Trump personally claim. Perhaps they will even allow him to “own” Air Force One, but maybe not personally own what should have been “our” birthday. The cynics commenting below will say, “No chance, MAGA has no limit…” and they will be right describing some MAGAs, but even MAGA voters’ values still lie on a spectrum, and the evidence in front of our faces demands explanations.
Rejecting Trump affiliation might be explanation number one. Which doesn’t mean liberals won.
This column spent much of the late spring warning about a hot summer burning with unrest, possible real clashes between protesters and law enforcement, violence, which would do nothing but play directly into Trump’s hands. So far, we’ve seen almost none of it, thankfully. But it might have been good to see the National Fair surrounded by protesters, reminding everyone that the country used to be at least “more” fair, even while admitting it’s never been close to fair for all. But even that hasn’t happened.
Right now, it’s hard to escape the sense that, to the extent the subject is “America”? Most Americans are just too tired to give a shit. If Trump and MAGA are nothing else, they’re exhausting, and perhaps, they – too, are exhausted.
Now, that’s really, really bad news for a White House that exists only upon the premise that enough Trump followers care so much about him that their loyalty and protection remain non-negotiable: from stealing 747s to Trump actively resisting investigating Epstein, all but forcing even his supporters to admit, “It sure looks like the guy doesn’t want anyone to know what happened back then.” There is no Trump regime without “Trumpers.”
Fine, but, never mind back then, Trump still needs protection in the here and now, and on a lot more issues than just Epstein and personal planes, or what happened on Epstein’s personal plane, and if the White House senses that his followers are distancing themselves from him, such as not attending what was a “personal rally” in the form of a national fair, that has to constitute not a “huge” worry, but “the” worry.
And yet, that only means that Democrats should care now more than ever, now sailing with the wind, finally, a chance to hand Trump an anchor. Granted, Democratic inaction is harder to read than MAGA motivation, but it still sits out there as a possible concern.
The United States needs intense, invested, and imaginative changes. Right now, the country sails almost rudderless as Trump and his gang enrich themselves; MAGA voters definitely have plans to make things worse. But if we can be sure of anything, it is that any real change requires a lot of people to really give a sh*t. They will, if pressed. But Dems? Dem leaders?
You care.
You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t. Can we be sure enough of us care, or – worse yet, can we be sure that our leaders care? Hakeem Jeffries is not standing on a podium just outside the Mall speaking in front of 50,000 people about making America itself “more fair.”
That seems a bit “off.”
It sure looks like Trump’s voters care less and less, preferring to keep their distance while saving some money. And that has to scare the sh… spit out of the White House, which cares dearly about one thing – saving dear leader. You can be damn sure that the more distance MAGA voters put between them and him, the more willingly Trump makes fast changes of the most horrific type, the type that doesn’t so much ruin a celebration as negate it.
But have no doubt, the Mall remains empty, and it’s empty for reasons important to both sides. Whatever those reasons might be, none are good for the White House. It doesn’t take an elephant ear to hear the whispers.
“This sucks.”
They don’t even know how right they are.
Jason Miciak is a Rawstory Columnist, former editor of Occupy Democrats, political consultant, author, attorney, and single girldad. Please follow him on Bluesky, and he can be reached at [email protected]. He does read and respond to comments and appreciates just how much can be learned in doing so.
