Signs of MAGA Collapse

Summary

The segment argues that former president Donald Trump’s political movement is showing signs of weakening in the United States, even as his allies pursue influence abroad.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s arrival in Miami

After losing Brazil’s presidential election, Bolsonaro reportedly left Brazil despite authorities canceling his passport and barring him from travel. He and his family traveled through Argentina and Ecuador before reaching Miami. A U.S. State Department official said they would receive visas.

Bolsonaro claimed he was Brazil’s legitimate leader and called the investigations against him political persecution. The segment says his defeat is a setback for Trump’s efforts to support right-wing leaders in Latin America.

Brazilian police are also investigating whether Rockbridge, a donor network co-founded by J.D. Vance, illegally helped finance Bolsonaro’s campaign. Rockbridge denied the allegation.

Signs of declining MAGA support

The segment cites a sharp year-over-year drop in Fox News viewership, closures of stores selling Trump merchandise, and a fashion columnist’s advice to a reader worried that his suit might make him look like a MAGA supporter. These are presented as signs that the movement’s appeal may be fading.

Cross-party support for Democratic candidates

• In Texas, Republicans are appearing in ads urging voters to support Democrat James Talarico over Ken Paxton.
• In South Carolina, former governors from opposing parties jointly endorsed Democrat Annie Andrews.
• Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins for governor, appealing for less partisan division.

Election and political developments

OpenAI has established an election operations center to identify misinformation and attempts to disrupt the midterms.

The segment also reports that Trump is increasingly isolated and angry. It says his rallies in states once considered reliably Republican reflect Republican concern that Democrats have several routes to Senate control.

Charges against right-wing activists

James O’Keefe and Cam Higby were charged with felonies after allegedly giving false names to poll workers in Minnesota while testing the state’s voter-vouching process. They said they were exposing flaws in the system; the segment notes that poll workers reported their attempt.

Presenter and Contributors

• Presenter, writer, and reader: Heather Cox Richardson
• Production: Sound Scape Productions, Dedham, Massachusetts
• Music: Michael Moss
• Journalists cited: Anna Jean Eva, Edward Wong, Alice Maciel, Lucia Chalakian Herrera, Terrence McCoy, Marina Diaz, Isaac Arnsdorf, Oliver Darcy, Brendan Roche, Vanessa Friedman, Calder McHugh, Katie Rogers, Lisa Lair, Mark Vancleave, and Rebecca Boone.