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Pay No Attention to the Man Fainting Behind the Screen
A week of unavoidable truths emerge as the MAGA smokescreen begins to clear
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In November of 2024, shortly after the U.S. Presidential election, I went to see Wicked in theaters. While expecting a spectacle of familiar songs and storyline, I also found myself deeply moved by the unavoidable political and cultural parallels drawn between that moment in America and the mythical Oz. I was reminded of how helpful art can be in explaining the consistency of human nature while also offering permission to process history’s repeating themes. Most notably was how The Wizard—larger than life and booming with confidence—was selling certainty through smoke and sound, all while hiding behind the curtain. A showman who survived on illusion, but a coward once the curtain is pulled back. Sound familiar?
Over the last week, as Trump’s typical chaotic news cycle continued, something shifted in the air. On Friday, the latest Epstein files dump provided further indisputable evidence of Trump’s allegiance to the corrupt “elite” he claims to detest. While allegations are not necessarily proof of a crime, emails between Trump and Epstein provide a tangible witness that even his most loyal defenders cannot deny. Then on Monday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene continued her recent crusade against him, calling the MAGA movement itself “all a lie”, which begs the question: What else did she see behind the curtain? Over the years, commentary from podcasters like Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz have served as indicators to general public opinion and on Wednesday, Shultz admitted he had misjudged the danger Trump poses to America. All of these moments point to a collective awakening: the realization that the man behind the curtain is not a savior, but a deeply flawed participant in the very systems he claimed to fight.
Wicked ultimately isn’t just about exposing a fraud—it’s about what happens after. It asks whether people, once awakened, will choose fear or courage, division or solidarity. That’s where this moment feels pivotal. Ultimately, the power was never behind the curtain; it has always lived within those willing to see clearly and act together (a power the Wizard envied). As more Americans reckon with reality, there is much opportunity is to welcome them to the fold and build and broader coalition, dedicated to truth. If we can meet this moment with unity instead of vengeance, honesty instead of myth-making, this could mark not just the end of an illusion—but the beginning of a more grounded, shared future for our country.
Upcoming: We will be convening with fellow pro-democracy organizations and grassroots activists in Washington, D.C. at the end of the month (2/20-2/22) for the annual Principles First conference. We are a proud sponsor of the event, and invite you all to join us there! Last year’s conference was full of surprise.
What Else We’re Reading
New York Times: “What’s Really Driving These Bogus Claims of Voter Fraud”
This week, President Trump called on his party to nationalize American elections, an unconstitutional move that he said would be justified because of the danger of noncitizens casting ballots. “These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally,” he said.
No president has so baldly proposed to intervene in state elections, but the charge that noncitizens are illegally casting ballots is sadly commonplace.
The Guardian: “Tulsi Gabbard Running Solo 2020 Election Inquiry Separate From FBI investigation”
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, is running her own review into the 2020 election with Donald Trump’s approval, working separately from a justice department investigation even as she joined an FBI raid of an election center in Georgia last week.
Her presence at the raid drew criticism from Democrats and former intelligence officials, who questioned why the country’s top intelligence officer with no domestic law enforcement powers would appear at the scene of an FBI raid.
The Dispatch: “Truth and Its Consequences”
The reason anyone does this is that we have bought into a preconceived cultural or political vision of the world and are choosing to interpret everything through that lens. Everything is part of an agenda: Our Agenda or Their Agenda. And to admit you are wrong is more than just to humble yourself, it’s a blow to the Agenda. And we can’t allow the Agenda to be harmed because the Agenda is a way of explaining the world, a way of making moral order of our society, of judging right and wrong, of deciding who the bad guys are, of giving us hope for the future, of understanding why everything is a mess right now and how we can fix it. It’s important to have a cultural/political vision of the common good, but when that vision becomes an all-encompassing agenda that runs over human values and divine laws and even truth, it is no longer for the common good.
The Hill: Greene: “Authority is a Responsibility, Not an Excuse”
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said President Trump’s Make American Great Again slogan was a “lie,” saying his first year back in office was focused on obliging wealthy supporters.
“I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people. What MAGA is really serving in this administration, who they’re serving, is their big donors,” Greene said in a Wednesday interview with radio personality Kim Iversen.
USA Today: Trump says Republicans should ‘nationalize’ elections, take control from states
President Donald Trump said Republicans should “nationalize” the voting process as he continues to level unfounded claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, more than five years after losing to Joe Biden.
Trump called for Republicans at the federal level to seize control of elections from states during an appearance on the podcast of Dan Bongino.
Religion News Service: Evangelicals Divided Over What Faith Demands As Immigration Tensions Deepen
Public polling shows that evangelicals, in general, support reforms that would lead to secure borders and provide legal pathways to citizenship. But a 2025 study from Lifeway Research, an evangelical firm, showed evangelicals are deeply divided in how they view immigrants. According to the study, 44% of evangelicals said they see recent immigrants as a drain on the country’s resources, while 43% see those immigrants as a threat to the safety of Americans. Over a third (37%) said Christians have an opportunity to show love to immigrants, while the same percentage said recent immigrants are a threat to law and order. Most (80%) wanted Congress to pass immigration reforms last year.
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