Why Trump's Own Base Is Finally Turning Against Him

Twitter's 19th anniversary, the Ceaușescu moment, and why conspiracy theories always devour their creators

Today marks a curious anniversary. On July 15, 2006, Twitter was launched to the public, beginning its transformation of how we consume news and wage political battles. Nineteen years later, both the platform, now X under Elon Musk, and the American political right find themselves at a crossroads, shaken by internal warfare over the Epstein files.

I consider this MAGA civil war a rare moment of poetic justice. Trump, the undisputed puppet master of his movement, suddenly faces rebellion from his most devoted followers. The irony is delicious: a man who built his empire on conspiracy theories now watches those same theories devour his administration from within.

The Revolt Begins

The Justice Department's recent memo affirming that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and finding no evidence of a "client list" has ignited a full-scale MAGA insurrection. Trump's movement and most ardent supporters are in revolt, with the situation setting up an unprecedented loyalty test between the president and the movement he created.

Attorney General Pam Bondi bears the brunt of this fury. In February, she told Fox News that Epstein's client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review," a list that her own department now says never existed. The base feels betrayed, and they're not accepting explanations.

At the conservative Turning Point USA conference in Tampa, Fox News host Laura Ingraham polled the summit crowd: "How many of you are satisfied, you can clap, satisfied with the result of the Epstein investigation?" She received overwhelming boos.

Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has Trump's ear, called Bondi "a total liar" and demanded her resignation. Loomer questioned whether Trump made the right decisions in elevating certain MAGA figures to top Cabinet roles, adding, "We kind of have a reality TV cabinet. I don't think that Pam Bondi is qualified to be the attorney general. She's kind of a bimbo."

The Emperor's Clothes

This unraveling is inevitable. Fascist movements thrive on unwavering loyalty to their leader, but cracks appear when followers begin questioning whether the emperor wears any clothes. History shows us this pattern repeatedly, from the long knives in the early days of Nazi Germany to the bunker betrayals during the collapse in April 1945, just 988 years short of the promised 1000-year illusion.

MAGA's addiction to conspiracy theories, amplified by social media's engagement-driven algorithms, has finally turned inward. Trump has long held significant sway over his base, but the situation marks one of the first times his movement is not taking cues from its leader.

The administration's internal warfare reached a breaking point when FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino had a fiery confrontation with Bondi over how she has handled the review of the Epstein files. Bongino was blamed internally for the oversight when surveillance video of Epstein's cell showed a missing minute, fueling conspiracy theories in MAGA's online world about a cover-up. The irony is thick: Bongino built his media career as a podcaster promoting exactly these kinds of conspiracy theories about Epstein's death, only to find himself blamed when his own evidence feeds the very theories he once championed.

Bongino may resign from the FBI unless changes are made. I'm not surprised; I never believed he would last long in this position. A source close to Bongino said, "he ain't coming back" after the heated White House confrontation.

Trump's Panic Response

Trump's response reveals a leader rattled by losing control of his narrative. It is a moment reminiscent of Nicolae Ceaușescu's infamous balcony scene in 1989 when the Romanian dictator realized his grip on power was slipping as the crowd that once cheered him began to turn against him. Like Ceaușescu, Trump faces the fragility of a personality cult when confronted with unexpected dissent. "What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening", he wrote on Truth Social.

The desperation is palpable. Trump's post was ratioed, meaning it received far more replies than likes or reposts, often a sign of widespread disapproval, despite Trump's platform, Truth Social, being home to many of his most diehard supporters.

He tried blaming Democrats, claiming without evidence that former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the Biden administration created the Epstein files. But even his most loyal supporters aren't buying it.

Trump called some of the attorney general's most vocal critics over the weekend to stem the bleeding, but the damage appears to be done. "It's not even about Pam Bondi to me. It's like, look, Trump, we elected you because you were supposed to be different," said Sharon Allen, a 24-year-old attendee at the Tampa conference.

The Twitter Connection

The timing of this MAGA meltdown coinciding with Twitter's 19th anniversary is symbolically perfect. I have been active on Twitter for over a decade. Many of my followers left for Bluesky or quit, but my two accounts still have around 400,000 followers. Twitter was never perfect, but it provided an unmatched sense of immediacy, a digital treasure chest where ideas collided and movements formed.

Yet even in Twitter's golden era, I witnessed the dangers: rage cycles, echo chambers, rumor mills, and the way negativity spread faster than facts. Those same dynamics that made Twitter addictive also made it a breeding ground for the conspiracy theories now consuming MAGA.

Elon Musk's acquisition transformed Twitter into X, creating a platform where Musk blasted President Trump on Saturday over his defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi, posting, "Just release the files as promised" in response to Trump's defense of Bondi.

The platform that once connected us is now a shadow of its former self, amplifying division rather than fostering dialogue. Research shows that more right-leaning users now feel welcome, while Democrats view what remains with growing disgust. Many academics and journalists who once formed Twitter's intellectual backbone have fled entirely or retreated into grumpy disengagement, leaving behind a hollowed-out shell of its former promise.

The Fascist Feedback Loop

This crisis exposes the inherent instability of movements built on outrage and conspiracy theories. MAGA leaders like Bondi, Bongino, and FBI Director Kash Patel spent years promoting unfounded theories about Epstein's death and the existence of a client list. Now, confronted with their own government's findings, they face the impossible task of walking back years of inflammatory rhetoric.

"I don't think they're telling us the truth about Epstein," podcaster Brandon Tatum told the Tampa crowd. "I think that that guy was involved in something nefarious that implicates a whole lot of people. And my guess is that a whole lot of people may happen to be some of our allies".

The movement's appetite for conspiracy has become so voracious that even its own leaders can't satisfy it. Patel posted to X that the "conspiracy theories" weren't and have never been true, but his about-face only further enraged the base.

The Schadenfreude Spectacle

For those of us who have watched MAGA's authoritarian march with growing alarm, this internal combustion offers a moment of dark satisfaction. The same tactics Trump used to destroy his opponents, conspiracy theories, character assassination, and relentless propaganda, now turn against his own administration.

Former Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, one of Trump's biggest supporters, called Trump's Truth Social post "out of touch," saying, "Trump is losing his touch."

The Democratic base, long wary of MAGA's cult-like devotion, has reason to celebrate this schism. When authoritarian movements fracture, they often do so spectacularly. The question is whether the damage will be permanent. The Epstein files will not break MAGA, but the scar tissue will remain and will be remembered the next time MAGA starts to realize that Trump and his helpers don't make America great.

A Movement Eating Itself

Trump built his political brand on promising to expose the "deep state" and drain the swamp. Now his own supporters accuse him of being part of the cover-up. The monster he created has turned on its master.

This fracture reveals the inherent contradiction in movements built on personality cults. They demand absolute loyalty while simultaneously feeding on suspicion and paranoia. Eventually, that paranoia must turn inward.

The End of an Era?

On Twitter's 19th anniversary, I'm struck by how both the platform and the political movement it helped create have devolved into chaos. The connective magic that once made Twitter essential for political discourse has been replaced by algorithmic outrage.

Similarly, the MAGA movement's early energy, however misguided, has fossilized into a conspiracy-driven death cult that consumes even its own leaders. The Epstein files revolt may be the beginning of the end for Trump's stranglehold on the American right.

For democracy's sake, I hope this internal warfare continues. When fascist movements turn on themselves, the rest of us should grab our popcorn and enjoy the show. The spectacle of MAGA's self-destruction might be the most entertaining thing to emerge from this dark political era.

The question is whether American democracy can survive long enough to benefit from this authoritarian implosion. But for now, watching Trump's most loyal supporters rebel against him offers a rare moment of hope in an otherwise bleak political landscape.

---

When I travel, there is often something extra to enjoy on Patreon:

Or perhaps you enjoyed the article and would like to support my writing by buying me a coffee?

---

Notes:

• MAGA Epstein revolt: CNN, ABC News, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

• Twitter anniversary: Wikipedia, various tech publications

• Internal DOJ conflict: Axios, Washington Post, New Republic

• Laura Loomer criticism: Daily Beast, Latin Times, Hollywood Reporter

• Turning Point USA conference: NBC News, CNN coverage

• Bondi client list claims: CNN analysis, PBS News, Al Jazeera

• Trump Truth Social response: ABC News, CNN, Fox News

• Bongino resignation speculation: Axios, New Republic, Associated Press