MAGA: Alive, Well, And Making Hay

President Donald Trump remains a powerful force in Republican politics, carrying half a dozen candidates in Indiana and Ohio to victory in their respective primaries this week. Their success calls into question widespread claims that Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement is dead.

MAGA Alive and Well

Republican lawmakers who blocked Trump’s redistricting efforts in Indiana learned the hard way on Tuesday that the president still wields considerable influence: Trump-endorsed candidates unseated five GOP incumbents in the Hoosier State’s primaries. And over in Ohio, Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy – who briefly served as co-head of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – swept the Republican primary.

“President Trump is the leader of our party. If you have his endorsement, it is like a fast pass to Disney World. You go right to the front,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters remarked. “He is unbelievable in terms of delivering for voters.”

Earlier this year, in response to Operation Epic Fury, former Trump appointee Carrie Prejean Boller declared that the MAGA movement is dead. “And MAGA, let me tell you right now, MAGA is dead. It is deader than dead, and Americans are furious. We don’t recognize President Donald J. Trump anymore,” Prejean Boller said. Her proclamation has been echoed by other right-wing figures, including former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

But even Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican known for frequently challenging Trump, appears to have taken notice of the president’s enduring dominance in Republican politics. Massie, who has opposed the president on several key issues, released an ad in which he portrays himself as Trump’s ally. “I agree with Trump a whole lot more than I disagree with him,” the Kentucky congressman says, later adding, “I’m Thomas Massie, and I approve this message because President Trump and I have a whole lot more to get done together.”

The campaign message comes after Trump endorsed Massie’s challenger, Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL who hopes to unseat the 4th District incumbent in Kentucky’s Republican primary. Trump’s disdain for Massie has been anything but subtle – the president has repeatedly branded him as the party’s “worst congressman ever.” But Massie’s decision to align himself with the chief executive anyway suggests he understands a political reality that Republicans can’t ignore: Trump’s endorsement still carries serious weight with GOP voters.

Trump’s Half-Full Glass

A Pew Research Center survey found that while Trump’s approval rating is slipping, “Republicans continue to offer generally positive views of the president, his personal traits and his performance on issues.”

Most Americans who voted for Trump still approve of his job performance, but that share has dropped to 78%, down from 83% in January and from 95% in the beginning of his second term. Although Trump continues to enjoy strong support among older voters, he appears to be losing ground with younger supporters: “57% of Trump voters under 35 and 70% of those ages 35 to 49 now approve, compared with 87% of his voters ages 50 and older.”

Trump still has two and a half years to go before he passes the torch to his successor, but even as his approval rating drops, his ongoing influence in the Republican Party is undeniable. It appears the reports of MAGA’s demise may be premature.