Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

Showing Original Post only (View all)

BoycottTwitter

(116 posts)
Wed Dec 24, 2025, 11:29 PM Dec 24

Just In Time For Christmas: How to Talk with MAGA Republicans Without Losing Your Mind [View all]

I must confess and say very regretfully that at one point in time I was a Republican and even more regretfully a supporter of Donald Trump. People tried to warn me about him but I didn't listen. It was just like someone said their thing and I said my thing and they got angry and all it did was leave me the same as I was before or perhaps even deeper into the cult because at the time it felt like a bad experience being yelled at and talked at. Although I will admit that reflecting on what I was told at the time once I started to move away from the MAGA cult some of the things that were told to me like how Trump enriches himself by forcing the secret service to use his hotels resurfaced in my mind. So having a conversation with your MAGA relatives, friends or family members can help even if it takes a long time to get results. But you got to be strategic at it and pick your battles. If it just results in someone getting


I recently saw this article: https://jamesbgreenberg.substack.com/p/how-to-talk-with-maga-republicans and I thought it was good. I was actually looking for another article that I saw on Substack a long time ago that I cannot find anymore. If I find that one I'll share it too.

Here's the first part of the article:

Let’s be honest: talking politics with a committed Trump supporter can feel like trying to argue with a bumper sticker. The slogans come fast. The facts don’t land. Disinformation isn’t corrected—it’s performed, often with defiance or knowing amusement. You’re not debating. You’re witnessing allegiance.

And maybe that’s the real issue. We’ve treated these exchanges as if they were about information—when they’re really about identity. We think we’re in a debate, but it’s closer to a ritual. A performance of belonging, not a negotiation of facts.

In some ways, we’re witnessing the replacement of civic ritual with political performance. Where once people gathered to solve problems or deliberate, they now gather around grievance, bonding not over solutions but shared enemies.

So what happens if we shift the terms? What if, instead of talking at them, we started talking with them?

Not about politics. About principles.

Because trying to fact-check a worldview only hardens it. But asking someone what they truly believe—about truth, justice, responsibility—isn’t a challenge. It’s a mirror. And mirrors invite reflection.
10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Just In Time For Christma...