MAGA Hates America
MAGA’s reaction to the Olympics and the Super Bowl tells us who they are.
Major sporting events always expose MAGA’s true feelings about America. They hate it. Rooting against American teams and athletes, inciting harassment and violence against athletes while they’re still at a competition, has become a MAGA tradition. Just this week, President Trump went after a freestyle skier on Team USA who admitted he had mixed emotions about competing for the United States right now. In response, Trump said the athlete was “very hard to root for” and added that “he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it.”
Vice President Vance, who was roundly booed by a global audience at the Opening Ceremonies, warned athletes in an interview that they shouldn’t “pop off about politics” or “attack the president.” Left unsaid is what happens when you do. Trump and the MAGA trolls come for you. But Vance didn’t need to spell it out. We already know.
I’m angry that athletes, on Team USA or otherwise, have to deal with this during the most exciting and also most stressful times of their lives. They don’t deserve it, and it distracts from their accomplishments and the story of their Olympic Games. Targeted harassment from trolls, potentially including the President of the United States, shouldn’t be something athletes have to prepare for. But that’s the reality of competing on a global stage now.
And then there’s the Super Bowl, which Donald Trump opted not to attend because he and his staff knew that he would likely also be roundly booed. Instead of harassing athletes on either team, Trump and MAGA decided to have a complete (and still ongoing) meltdown over the Halftime headline performer, Bad Bunny.
Bad Bunny is an American citizen, a global superstar at the top of his game, someone Americans can and should take pride in. He’s won six Grammys, including Album of the Year. He’s been the most-streamed artist on Spotify four out of the last six years. Bad Bunny is a household name in the US and around the world. It’s Bad Bunny’s global appeal and star power that the NFL wanted to help it expand into new markets and create a global fanbase. But according to Trump and MAGA, he’s divisive and doesn’t represent American values. Also, he performs in Spanish, which makes MAGA big mad. (Megyn Kelly had a meltdown so epic over this fact that even Piers Morgan thought she’d lost it.) MAGA is even mad at Elmo (yes, a literal puppet) for praising Bad Bunny.
MAGA loves to represent itself as real America and the rest of us as not belonging, but the truth is, it’s them who are out of touch. Trump is historically unpopular and tanking on every issue in polls. Most Americans are rooting for Team USA, not against them. Most Americans preferred Bad Bunny’s halftime show, which averaged 128.2 million viewers on television and more than 70 million views on YouTube, over the MAGA TPUSA alternative, which only generated 21 million YouTube views. Given that MAGA trolls have a history of juicing stats, who knows if that’s actually an accurate representation of how many people genuinely wanted to watch? Even Trump and the crowd at Mar-A-Lago opted to watch Bad Bunny.
The moment that crystallizes just how insane all of this is for me is YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who resides in Puerto Rico, going online to call Bad Bunny a “fake citizen.” Both men’s American citizenship entitles them to reside in Puerto Rico, but it’s Bad Bunny’s homeland. Paul is a recent arrival. Suggesting someone else is a fake citizen while you’re living in their home is peak Colonialist. It’s a prime example of MAGA’s entitlement. Everything is meant for them and the rest of us are just in their way. It’s their world to exploit as they see fit, and no one else matters.
But again, this is the minority view. MAGA hates America and the diverse array of people that make us a great nation and our culture so appreciated around the world. The rest of us are sick of their weird and hateful obsessions. Bad Bunny let his electrifying performance speak for itself, a political and cultural statement of what America is and who belongs here. Several Olympic athletes continue to defend their teammates and speak out against ICE and the harm the Trump Regime causes daily. I was particularly moved by Rich Ruohonen, a member of the US Curling Team, the oldest member of Team USA competing, and a Minnesotan, who used his platform to speak out and speak up for his home state. I’m giving him the final word this week, and I encourage you to watch his remarks.
ICYMI
‘No Reason He Should Have Died’: Alex Pretti’s Parents Open Up (NYT, gift link)
How ICE Will Spy On Protesters, And How You Can Protect Your Privacy (Tech Policy Press)
Pro-Trump Town Stunned After ICE Raids Leave It “Nearly Destroyed” (The New Republic)
Want even more content? Subscribers receive bonus content on Fridays.
Coda
I try not to ask for contributions too often, but paid subscribers and patrons help keep the newsletter free for everyone. They also allow me the time to write and produce more content for the newsletter. If you’d like to support the newsletter and my work, consider joining via Patreon or hitting the subscribe button below. And thank you!
No newsletter next week as I’m taking it off to spend some time with the family. Publication will resume on March 1. See you in two weeks!
Join us for the State of the Swamp
Join DEFIANCE.org and COURIER at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on February 24th for the State of the Swamp, a rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union.
Opposition figures, current and former elected officials, celebrities, and other leaders will gather to tell the truth and to counter Donald Trump’s lies. Speakers include Robert DeNiro, Jim Acosta, Mehdi Hasan, and Senator Ron Wyden.
Use discount code COURIER15 for 15% off tickets
The COURIER team is growing and we need you!
These new hires will have the opportunity to shape how we launch in new regions and build trust from the ground up. You can see the full job descriptions on our Careers Page here.
If you know of anyone who might be a strong fit—or could help spread the word—let us know! Email info@couriernewsroom.com.