Hey MTG, You've Got a Lot to Prove

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Seven years ago, I made a deliberate decision to stop being a divisive, right-wing asshole who embraced tribal fury and helped tip the scales of our politics into this chaotic moment. Since the day I publicly broke with Donald Trump and his movement, I haven’t just said the words; I’ve lived by them. Every morning I get up and ask: What can I do today to show this is real? What can I do to make up for the years I spent being part of the problem instead of the solution? I’ve spent these seven years showing up, speaking out, having tough conversations, and building bridges to restore trust and to earn it by action, not just words.

Now I’m watching Marjorie Taylor Greene step into a similar moment of reckoning. More than almost anyone, I can appreciate the position she is in. She seems on the verge of a change like the one I experienced. And if that’s the case, I welcome it. But for now, it’s just words. It’s a start, but the real work is just beginning.

She says she’s done with the old version of herself—great. Now prove it, Marjorie. Align your behavior with your rhetoric. Stop the inflammatory tweets, the identity politics, the conspiracy theories, and treating public service like a battlefield. Show care and respect for people you disagree with instead of scorn. Put principle over power and country over party consistently, not just when it’s convenient. In other words, walk the path of genuine conversion.

So far, I’m not convinced that this falling out is anchored by conviction rather than shifting winds. She’s already said she still supports Trump and “hopes to make up.” If she still stands behind Trump and his MAGA agenda, then this is just a rebrand by a political opportunist who wants something left after the Epstein files hit the fan.

I’ve walked this terrain. I know how steep it is. I believe anyone can change, and I hope she will. But I’ll be watching to see if Marjorie is really in this for the long haul. Because I know where the path leads, and it’s not about quick wins or media stunts. It’s not about attention or relevance. It’s about integrity, humility, and the courage to admit you were wrong. And it’s about doing something about it every damn day.

But it’s more than that. I didn’t just become “polite MAGA” seven years ago; I renounced the whole MAGA ideology, if you can call it that. Here at the Social Contract, we encourage tolerance for a broad range of political views, and we encourage respectful conversation. I can have a respectful conversation with someone who believes that the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate, or that the Jan. 6th Capitol attack was a “normal tourist visit.” But I can’t tolerate those viewpoints because they are lies. And that’s the problem with Marjorie: as far as I know, she still believes the 2020 election was stolen, and the insurrection was patriotic rather than seditious. So has anything really changed?

As you can tell, I’m genuinely a bit flummoxed. What’s your take on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s apparent transformation, readers? Send me your thoughts at [email protected].

This Week on The Social Contract

My Substack Lives are open to all subscribers, unless noted. Please join us this week!

• Wednesday with Michael Cohen at 4pm ET

• Thursday with Edwin Eisendrath at 4pm ET

• Thursday AMA for Paid Subscribers Only at 7pm ET

• “Welcome to the Party, Pal!” with Mike Nellis on Friday at 12pm ET

Here’s what some of you are thinking about this week…

Joe,

I for one would sure love to see talking-head media types, Democrats, and others, all day, every day, get in the face of Trump and his sycophants and pose a simple question: if Trump has nothing to hide, if he did nothing wrong as it relates to Epstein, then why not release the files as he and they (Republicans) promised would be done?

I know it’s because he’s a liar, and they all are liars. They lie as they breathe; it is their nature. But would love to see it and hear people ask it, yell it in their faces, over and over again. Heck, similar to what Trump said about taking the 5th: if you did nothing wrong, why do you take the 5th? As we know, the answer and the reason are in the question itself.

Then again, I guess it involves the definition of the word “wrong,” since Maxwell says she did nothing WRONG and never saw anyone ever do anything WRONG. So disgusting and pathetic.

Take care. All the best. —Bill T.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s noticed that when Trump knows something is 100% and absolutely true—and that is dangerous to him—he uses the same word: hoax. It’s like a poker player’s tell, and once you look for it, you’ll always know that whenever he uses the word ‘hoax,’ it’s because it’s true. —Stephen M.

Tonight I’m being kept awake wondering how the MAGA base could inconceivably be split on Epstein + Trump. This is NOT a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an issue of morality—a simple paradigm of right or wrong, black or white. I’m left to think that those who dare to frame this any differently are lacking judgment skills—an insidious poison to critical thinking—and they must be morally bankrupt.

Epstein survivors and their families are suffering and will find inner peace to be elusive. Yet, part of the “magats” don’t, can’t, or won’t accept the fact that their leader knew and probably participated in this atrocity of justice. If they refuse to see that Trump is piling on distractions to facilitate a huge cover-up, they are a glaring, indelible stain on humanity.

Growing up in the age of Watergate, I thought I saw the worst President we’d ever have, but the wannabe dictator has eclipsed that scandal. This ain’t rocket science here. Simply put, his character is just as abysmal as the pedophile predators, who need to be brought to justice—if there is any real justice left in existence in this country. —Karen C.

Joe,

This does not attempt to directly address the question of whether or not you are really a “capital D” Democrat, but it is related to it, in my opinion. The Democratic Party—for all its flaws—has not become corrupted as has the Republican Party. You are a very principled person, and I can see your wanting to align yourself with and be a part of an institution and group of citizens (the Democratic Party and its base) that has not become corrupted the way the Republican Party and its base has. —ML

Hey, I want to hear from you! Got some feedback to share? Want to send us a 600+-word op-ed? How about a video clip on how we can mend our frayed social contract? Want to appear with Joe on Substack Live? Just need to vent? Send it our way!

Email our editor at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!