The MAGA Disconnect: Losing Their Jobs, but Not Their Loyalty

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” — Upton Sinclair

In Parkersburg, West Virginia, a town that overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump, hundreds of federal employees just got fired. Instead of blaming the man in the White House, they set their sights on a new scapegoat: Elon Musk, because acknowledging reality would be too painful.

Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is on a firing spree, and Parkersburg is one of the first major bloodbaths. The U.S. Treasury, a major employer in the area, has axed hundreds of jobs, many belonging to Trump voters. And yet, when interviewed, these same people refuse to blame Trump. Instead, they are wagging their fingers at Musk, the billionaire now tasked with gutting the federal workforce in the name of “efficiency.”

This is the MAGA disconnect in action. They do not see Trump as the reason they are unemployed. After all, he promised to fight for them. He is their guy. He cannot be the problem, so they manufacture a different villain.

It is not the first time this has happened. When Trump’s tariffs backfired and crushed American farmers, they blamed China. When Carrier continued to offshore jobs despite Trump’s “deal,” it was corporate greed. When Trump’s tax cuts failed to stop Rust Belt factories from shutting down, it was the deep state’s fault. Now, when Musk executes Trump’s federal purge, suddenly it is all on Musk.

This level of cognitive dissonance is essential for MAGA’s survival. Trump is their hero, their political messiah, and their victim. He is always “fighting” for them, even when his policies are the reason they are standing in the unemployment line. And when they suffer, someone else must take the fall.

So, will this realization ever sink in? Will the people of Parkersburg finally realize they voted for their own termination? Or will they keep convincing themselves that the problem is not the man they put in power but the billionaire he handed the knife to?

If history is any indicator, they will keep believing. When the next round of firings hits, they will find a new scapegoat—maybe Biden, immigrants, or the “woke agenda.” But never Trump.

Meanwhile, Democrats are not exactly helping either. Yes, go protest at Tesla dealerships if it makes you feel better, but let’s get something straight. This is Trump’s doing. Musk is just the executor. If he gets sideways with Trump, someone else will step in and finish the job. The problem is the man at the top, not just the guy carrying out his orders.

Actions have consequences. Elections have consequences. And yet, MAGA faithfuls refuse to learn. They keep touching the stove and screaming about the burn while swearing next time will be different. It will not be.

FAFO.

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