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Uriel Epshtein is the CEO of the Renew Democracy Initiative.
In the mafia, a made man is more than just an associate—he’s a fully initiated member who has “made his bones,” proving his loyalty in a way that makes his return to polite society impossible: killing someone, for example. In the words of Tony Soprano:
“Once you’re in this family, there’s no getting out.”
In Trump world, associates become “made” through unquestioning loyalty and relentless promotion of conspiracy theories (peddling that the 2020 election was stolen being the ultimate initiation rite). These acts ensure that leaving isn’t an option: once made, they’re too entrenched to walk away clean.
But what happens when these made men—or made women—try to break with the Don?
We’ve seen this story again and again. Formerly loyal party members find themselves disagreeing with Trump about some issue only to discover their loyalty repaid with attacks and threats. Personal fixer Michael Cohen, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Chief of Staff John Kelly, even his own former Vice President Mike Pence. Some have managed to escape Trump’s orbit and align with their erstwhile foes. Others have simply faded away.
The breakup du jour is Marjorie Taylor Greene. “Democrats are embracing Marjorie Taylor Greene” [ [link removed] ] is not a headline anyone could have seen coming when the conspiracy-prone Republican congresswoman first took office. But at a recent event, Congressman Jamie Raskin [ [link removed] ], a liberal Democrat from Maryland, remarked, “This is a party that’s got room for Marjorie Taylor Greene if she wants to come over!” He got more than a few boos from the crowd in response.
Both Raskin and the hecklers have a point. Marjorie was not someone who supported Trump while holding her nose. She actively and aggressively defended him at every opportunity, even going up to New York in solidarity when he was in court. But after breaking with him on the Epstein Files, she suddenly found herself branded a “traitor [ [link removed] ].” (And as Trump has made clear, we all know what the punishment for treason [ [link removed] ] is…)
After having been one of Trump’s most loyal acolytes–the very definition of a “made man”– MTG finds herself in the wilderness. And with nowhere else to turn, she announces her plan to resign.
So, from a strategic point of view, what should Democrats and other reasonable people do? Is the woman who popularized Jewish Space Lasers a friend or a foe? Though I’m not a big fan of the “realist” school of foreign policy thought, at this stage in our domestic political struggles, I think we should take a leaf out of their book and recognize that we should not necessarily think of politicians as friends or foes, but rather as temporary allies when our interests align and adversaries when they don’t.
Marjorie’s impending resignation means that the razor-thin Republican majority in the House is about to get 1 vote thinner. But imagine for a moment what might have been possible if Democrats could have succeeded in bringing MTG over to their side, even on just a few votes. Not only would the far right have lost a vote, but on some issues, moderates might have gained one.
Politics is not dating. You don’t have to be in love with someone to work with them. You honestly don’t even necessarily have to respect them. The real world is messy, and sometimes the choice in front of us is whether we want to make a difference or maintain our purity. It’s not uncommon for these two options to be mutually exclusive. Remember that during WWII, the Allies worked with Stalin to defeat Hitler. If we accept that our republic is under grave threat, then I believe we can’t afford to say no to working with someone on issues where there’s mutual alignment.
That doesn’t mean we should embrace people who could lead us off an ideological cliff. Republicans would do well to actively reject Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson, and Democrats would be wise to say goodbye to Hasan Piker [ [link removed] ]. But those of us trying to return a semblance of sanity to our political system should be open to a flexible coalition that welcomes co-belligerents on specific issues, even if we might otherwise find them unsavory.
I don’t think Marjorie has fundamentally changed her views; I certainly wouldn’t invite her to my Thanksgiving dinner. But strategically, I think we would do well to at least be open to working with her on issues where our interests unexpectedly align.
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If we Americans are going to find a way out of our never-ending political crisis, we are going to have to give people who have done or said bad things an entry point back into polite company. We can’t afford to have too many people become Trump’s “Made Men.” We don’t have to forget previous wrongdoings. But a successful big tent means not reflexively denying potential (even temporary) allies a future because of a checkered past. Political reintegration for MAGA defectors is less about absolution and more about strategy.
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