Dear John,
Leaving MAGA is like leaving any other cult: it requires an internal reckoning, a redefinition of self, and the support of a community that understands what it means to start over.
Rich Logis was deep in it. He became a Trump supporter in 2015, built a MAGA following, launched a podcast, and wrote op-eds in support of the movement. For years, he was a true believer. But like many who have left cult-like environments, it wasn’t one single event that changed him – it was a slow, painful unraveling of truth.
The botched COVID response. The deadly chaos of January 6. The growing realization that Donald Trump was not who he claimed to be. Rich describes it as a wrenching internal reckoning – a psychological and emotional break from a worldview he once fully embraced.
As Rich said when he endorsed Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention:
“I finally stepped outside the MAGA echo chamber. I stopped listening to what Trump said and I looked around with my own eyes. And I realized he had been lying about pretty much everything. Lying is Trump's toxic superpower. He's ripped apart families, communities, our country.”
But leaving MAGA wasn’t just about walking away from an ideology. It meant walking away from a community. From belonging. That’s one reason so many stay – because MAGA isn’t just political, it’s personal. It offers identity, connection, and meaning. Leaving it means reshaping how you see yourself and how you relate to the world. And that requires support.
Send a direct message to the CEOs of NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and FOX: Cover the voices of those leaving MAGA. Give Americans the stories they need to hear – and the hope they may not yet even know they’re looking for.
Courage is contagious. That’s why Rich founded Leaving MAGA – a space for those who’ve left the movement or are on the verge of doing so. It’s a growing community of people who understand what it means to question everything you once believed, and to build something better in its place.
Leaving MAGA is about helping others take that first step. It’s created tools for reaching out to loved ones trapped in the movement, and it helps former MAGA supporters share their personal journeys as an act of advocacy. From Jason Riddle, who stormed the Capitol and later rejected Trump’s pardon, to Stephania Messina, who came through Christian Nationalism and left it behind, these stories matter.
These are voices the country needs to hear.
If we want to turn this country around, we can’t just fight MAGA from the outside – we need to empower the people leaving from within. People don’t just need to be told Trump is a danger. They need to see that others like them have left, and found clarity, purpose, and belonging on the other side.
That’s why we need media outlets to cover these stories – not just on friendly ground, but in every space where they might be heard. These voices can save lives, families, and futures.
Tell the CEOs of the major news networks: Cover the compelling stories of those, like Rich Logis, who have changed their views and left MAGA.
Thank you for helping to get the word out about life after Leaving MAGA!
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
