MAGAReport for 6/19/2024

Today: no threats of violence, and an exploration of the in-group attitudes of the far-right

Things remain hostile but stable on the forums. There are no plans for violence or demonstration; just the usual pro-Trump anti-government discussions and enraged engagement with far-right talking points (anti-trans, anti-immigrant, anti-government, and pro-conspiracy theories)

Over the years I’ve been monitoring far-right forums, and especially since Biden came into office, there are a number of themes that have emerged. Many of them relate to the psychology of the far-right “ultraMAGA” crowd. I’m working on a longer piece about this, but over the next week or so, I want to dive into a few elements of that with all of you.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The far-right has very strong in-group / out-group feelings. Their in-group is conservative straight white American men. People who do not quite fit those criteria - the occasional woman or person of color - are considered acceptable if they behave deferentially and know their place, though they are not treated as equals. The out-group includes immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, women, minorities, liberals, centrists, public servants, etc. The military and police are on the border between these two groups. Because they hold power, they are fetishized within the far right to a certain extent. However, if they act against the ultraMAGA interests, they are quickly demonized (as we saw viscerally on January 6th).

This far-right in group considers themselves to be the only “true” Americans. This is not new language for Republicans - some will remember Sarah Palin’s “real America” speech back in 2008. But it is important here because of a larger world view on the far right. They not only see themselves as owning the idea of Americanism; they see others as a threat to their dominance and they want to see the outsiders suffer and be punished.

This need for power and domination is important because it leads directly to their desire for authoritarianism and the violence that comes with it. It’s also a critical foundation for their belief in conspiracy theories and rejection of truth - something I’ll explore more in the coming weeks.