Last October, Ron, a 55-year-old construction analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was furloughed for 43 days as the Trump administration took a sledgehammer to federal agencies’ budgets under the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative led by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
“We voted for Trump, not realizing that he was going to slam as hard as he did, but it was on day one when he sat down, right after inauguration, and started signing those executive orders and just trashed us federal employees, it was a kick in the teeth,” Ron said.
“If people would just listen and research and do something other than just listen to Fox News, we may all be better off, but it’s going to take an open mind and an ability to say, ‘I made a mistake,’ because once you say you made a mistake, you can turn the ship around,” said Chrissey Kelley, 50, a stay-at-home mom.
Speaking out against MAGA cost the Kelleys relationships with friends and family members who support Trump, but in sharing their story, they hope to inspire others having doubts about the GOP.
“It’s okay to be wrong. You made a mistake, it was a bad choice, but it’s not the end of the world. We can fix it. We just got to ride it out and hold strong and support each other through it,” Ron said.
. . . Chrissey said she became a Republican as soon as she started voting.
“You were just a conservative. There was no thought behind it. You listen to Fox News, and you listen to conservative outlets, and you’re spoon-fed,” Chrissey said.
Ron, who served in the military for 25 years, said the 2008 housing market crash left him “really disillusioned with the Democratic Party.”
When he couldn’t find work in Detroit, he moved to Georgia. He supported Republicans because he associated them with bigger spending on defense.
Ron said he supported Trump with donations, bumper stickers and the “whole nine yards” of MAGA.
“I bought into the lie about the stolen election and all that, and I thought January 6 insurrectionists were actually patriots,” Ron said.
“I just remember being content with thinking that he was what we needed, and he was going to drain the swamp in Washington until he got into office this third term, and realizing that I was dumb as a rock, and I believed everything that I was spoon fed.”
. . . “Just watching the policies of what’s happening in our world today unfold one by one by one, I just started drawing up very different conclusions and found out that I was clueless, and most people are today, but now I’m awake and looking at it for what it is, and I cannot believe that he had my support,” Chrissey said.
“It’s lie after lie after lie.”
Ron said he now votes for Democrats, and Chrissey said she considers herself an Independent but has voted for Democrats three times now, something she “never thought in my entire life” would happen.
“The road we’re headed down now, if we don’t turn this truck around, we’re so close to going off the edge of the cliff that we need to stick together,” Ron said.
“We need to put our country back together. It might take decades, but don’t give up. We need to be vocal. Stay strong, and follow our laws and Constitution, and hold strong with our values, not the values that the MAGA claims that we have, but the values that we’ve had in the past 250 years from the founding of the country til Joe Biden’s era.”
If only these people had figured it out after his first term. Oh wait, they weren’t harmed personally in his first term.
If someone said, “I was dumb, I didn’t know he was going to cut off aid to starving people, didn’t know he was going to send masked thugs into the streets to beat, kill, kidnap and disappear innocent people, didn’t know he was going to start wars, didn’t know he was going to betray all our allies and destroy any remaining drop of goodwill toward the US in the world, … etc”
Then I’d say, “yes, you were dumb, very fucking dumb, exceedingly dumb, but welcome to humanity. Some things are permanently ruined because you were so fucking dumb but now let’s start picking up the pieces and try to create a better system than the one that allowed someone like trump to gain so much power.”
But it’s never that. It’s always, “I didn’t know he was going to hurt MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
Conservatism can be summed up in a single word, repeated ad infinitum.
“ME”
I mean, I’ll take the win. They owned up to it, are voting Democratic now, etc.
Can’t unring a bell but at least they’re somewhat atoning. Easy to be angry still and I don’t blame people for that but again, can’t fix the past. Maybe their story will inspire a few others to leave the cult.
Yeah I don’t understand all the negativity towards folks like this. Yes they made a monstrous mistake that may be unfixable but I’d rather have people that can see their failures and are willing to change any day of the week. I’ve made multiple mistakes in my youth that I learned from and became a better person. And folks like this are better equipped at helping others to see the light that are in the same boat.
Believe me we are going to need as many people as we can to see the empires has no clothes (but I literally never want to see him naked…I’m gonna vomit)
Because they haven’t really learned anything. They just know Trump is awful, but as soon as MAGAs try to slip back to being Republicans again, and pretend MAGA never happened, these people will race back to it. They don’t think Republican policies are bad, just Trump.
The problem is that elections have consequences. Big ones. Ones you can’t take back, ones you can’t undo. People have died. People have lost everything. People have been hurt in ways that there will never be any amends for, or any possible. People saw this coming and begged people for a decade to see reason, and they were ignored. These were their countrymen, their families, their people and they did it anyway. There are real, tangible consequences to these votes, this isn’t some abstract ideological game. These people have actively turned the wolves on their neighbours, and that’s not a “mistake” that’s easy to forgive. If your brother killed your son while you were screaming for him to stop the car, would you ever be able to forgive him? To trust his judgment ever again?
It’s a privilege to be one of the ones who were not so directly hurt by them. To be able to welcome their change of heart and offer them grace. Don’t ask those who don’t have that privilege to do it.
To trust his judgment ever again?
This is the big one for me.
This wasn’t a confusing thing. Like you said, it’s not abstract. This whole experience has probably been the most clearly definable political thing in the history of our nation. To make this kind of mistake with that in mind I have to assume they either have brain damage or pure, unadulterated hate toward their fellow Americans. And the consequences are generational. Decades to claw back. We will live the rest of our lives with some of these consequences.
Why…how, would I ever trust them with anything important ever again? They simply cannot handle the responsibility as functional adults.
I’d at least rather have them than those who still refuse to see reason.
I don’t understand all the negativity towards folks like this.
Skepticism whether they’ve “changed their ways” or just rejected the one person who hurt them.
These are people who were totally down with draining the swamp of all its career politicians and bureaucrats, right up until they were the bureaucrat being drained. They were down with storming the Capitol so only real American votes would be counted. Article bravely stays away from racism. The whole “be a conservative like everyone else” and “vote for Trump like everyone else” vibe suggests they’ll be ready to vote for the next demagogue who promises them easy solutions to intractable problems.
There’s no indication in the text that they have suddenly discovered empathy, only that they’ve learned small government policies cost them their government job. Maybe that’s just the way the article was written, but I don’t think empathy is something one just discovers at middle age.
They were down with storming the Capitol so only real American votes would be counted.
Exactly. I will NEVER hold hands and sing Kumbaya with someone who condoned erasing my vote. They are my enemy forever.
And it’s a rare damn thing to find a conservative who condemns Jan6 and doesn’t try to excuse it as a simple “protest”. If that day had really gone their way, not a single fucking one would have stood up and spoken against it. Fuck them.
Yup. It’s a weird quirk of human psychology that some people are more mad at these people than at the ones still in the cult. Focus our efforts, people!
I’m glad they’re moving in the right direction. Their loss of family and friends needs to be addressed so they don’t ever go back.
But I’m scared that it’s not enough. It seems like they are against Trump but are they against other Republicans and their policies? Are they going to be critical of Democrats too? Because we’ve got big problems that neither big tent party are addressing and these two people seem to be about sixty years behind the curve.
until he got into office this third term
Uhhhh… eh?
It’s always “Not MY face!”
It’s never about actual values or morals or rights or principles. It’s never about concern for family, friends, neighbors, fellow citizens.
It’s always “This isn’t working out for ME.”
Maybe it’s the nature of the news business. Maybe there are some who are changing their minds more quietly, who don’t get profiled in the news.
“It’s okay to be wrong. You made a mistake, it was a bad choice, but it’s not the end of the world. We can fix it.”
Acknowledging a mistake only works if you them stop making that mistake. And I’m not convinced these or similar people will do that.
How many red flags have they ignored? They didn’t give a shit about other people being screwed over by him. It was only when it affected them that they started to question. He worked for the Federal government and was still bashing the shit out of it. They ignored the January 6th riots. They voted for the this THREE times. This is all typical maga idiocy, and the reason why we’re in such a mess.
I mean, I guess it’s good they’re seeing reality now. But holy shit. And these stories are basically pointless. Anyone who hasn’t pulled their heads out of their asses by now won’t because of other people’s accounts like this. The only thing that will change their minds is personal hardships. And even then it’s a toss-up.
People consume media that is constantly lying to them, they are surrounded by people being fed the same lies, creating a feedback loop that suppresses any opposition. It’s even worse these days with social media and algorithms, they just constantly get fed the lies, the propaganda.
At least these people came around eventually. Lots of people dont think politics matters that much until it severely affects them. So its going to take that kick in the mouth, unfortunately.
Boiling down the frustration of me and others in these situation to “you’re just saying I told you so” is facile. We’ve been down the path of “yay, good job on seeing the light! Go you! One of us gobble gobble!” far too many times. And it doesn’t do shit. Like I say, I guess it’s good they finally saw the light. But I’m not going to give this couple of proverbial medal or lavish them with praise for finally seeing the fucking obvious.
And like I say, relaying these stories doesn’t help either. At this point anyone maga who hasn’t realized the error of their ways can only learn through the direct consequence of their action. They won’t change their mind because some maga HUD employee three states over got screwed. That’s not how this works.
You dont have to flip to the other extreme. Nobody is saying to praise these people, just don’t shun them. Perhaps they already voted out of spite, maybe they will again.
It’s in our best interest to have them away from the fascist cesspool, even if I don’t give much of a shit about them personally, for what they previously had a hand in.
people like this were truly misguided and deluded.
And also inherently stupid. And stupid people tend to not truly learn from their mistakes.
That is why I, and many others here, are skeptical.
Yes, they were affected by propaganda and group think, but they also already experienced one failed presidency with this CONVICTED FELON and ADJUDICATED RAPIST and still threw in their support. That’s actual stupidity, and not just influence from peers or “news” networks.
Of course they are stupid and they might always be stupid, but they can still vote, so we should try to keep them voting progressively instead of just telling them to fuck off and leaving them to vote for fascism again. I’m not saying to have empathy for them, as you said, they voted for a child rapist. Just get their vote, it’s what we need. This doesn’t just apply to the USA, but all over the world where fascism is now creeping in.
deleted by creator
Most of the comments in this thread show exactly why Europe needs to get away from the US as far as possible, even if they do vote differently next time.
They won’t. Most European countries are just like the US. Only 5 or 6 years behind. It’s full of stupid emotional ppl who want simple solutions to difficult problems. They want to be able blame all their problems on someone else. Friedrich Merz, Macron, Keir Starmer are all versions of centrist democrats in their respective countries and all they’re doing are leaving the public pissed off. All it would take is a charismatic right winger to come in and I guarantee things would look exactly the same as the US
deleted by creator
I live in Germany genius. I get to see first hand how your all easily scared and vote against your best interest all because of those “mmigrants”. The AFD continue to get more and more votes every year. Italy voted in a facist sympathizer and Spain has nostalgia for Franco. You’re thinking is exactly why things are getting worse. You have this holier than thou arrogance that makes you think you can never slip back into facism. And I get to watch all the same talking points ppl said about trump never getting elected get repeated while the population votes more and more right wing nuts in.
Living in France, Germany, and Spain has taught me you Europeans are all just as stupid, naive, and arrogant as Americans. The funniest part is all my german friends say most of Europe is 5 years away from looking exactly like the US
Edit: also European arrogance is honestly worse. American arrogance is from more of a place of ignorance/propaganda and white supremacy. European arrogance is more smug/vain but also comes from white supremacy
Wait until actual diversity approaches.
deleted by creator
Im in my mid 30s and my friends range from their 60’s to their 20’s. Plus Im a black dude. If theres one thing i can easily recognize its white arrogance and you’re embarrassing need to sweep it under the rug is reminiscent of America. Europe is LITERALLY the home of white supremacy and you went around the world ransacking thE globe yet somehow you think it just magically ended after WW2.
Youre probably one of those city folks who never venture out into the country side and see the ignorance and hatred of those in rural communities who feel left behind. You yourself exist in a thought bubble because you probably only surround yourself with those that agree with you. Germany thought the Social Democrats would never work with the AFD but look what happened.
You can fight all you want but the biggest issue in american politics isnt leftist giving up. Its centrist siding with facist and thats exactly what’s happening across Europe. You can be as hopeful as you want but as long as right wing politicians stoke the fans of hatred vs immigrants and ppl keep falling for it you’re screwed. Id honestly say you’re dumber because you can see the playbook playing in real time in America but you all keep falling for it. Imagine supporting the National Front, UK conservatives, AFD, or FDI after you saw what Trump was doing. Yet here we are
deleted by creator
So NOW he regrets it, now that it affects him. Well too late now the country is destroyed. Does he really think the next person coming in is going to give away all that power. Sure things will just go right back to normal.
“It’s okay to be wrong. You made a mistake, it was a bad choice, but it’s not the end of the world. We can fix it. We just got to ride it out and hold strong and support each other through it,” Ron said.
Absolutely astounding how Americans care NOTHING about anyone that is not themselves. The orange pedophile has literally been directly responsible for the slaughter of THOUSANDS and that fact does not even register with this piece of shit
White Americans care nothing about other people…
When I was a kid my tribe would bring dentists to my elementary school, and it didn’t matter if you were native or not you would still get tooth care.
We Americans have, unfortunately, a very individualist society. That sort of thinking prevents us from acting in the best interest of people who are not ourselves because we don’t see the immediate benefit to ourselves.
It’s extremely shortsighted, foolish, selfish, and the exact opposite of the message the dominant religion in the nation preaches. But it’s hard to shake that kind of cultural thinking. That journey took me a while, and I started in a more “advantageous” position (in regard to this topic) than some because my parents instilled a deep sense of compassion and a desire for truth, even if they themselves are still stuck as single-issue pro-life republicans.
Every individual who gets slapped out of their conservatism by personal consequences has a chance to end up breaking free and realizing how harmful myopic thought is, and I’m cheering for them even if they have a long way to go on their journey.
What is the most important step? The next one. Always the next step.
I wholeheartedly agree with you and wish you the best of luck in your journey
Well that at least makes them more intelligent than most Trump voters. A very low bar. An extremely low bar if they still plan to vote for republicans.
Not sure I believe that’s true. They were NEVER going to change but were slapped in the face and directly impacted, They will not ever naturally care about other people. They don’t like trump because he hurt THEM. I bet they’re still perfectly ok with Alligator Alcatraz, because those people are getting what they deserve.
They’re not awake, they’re blindly voting ‘blue’ because ‘red’ hurt them.
And they’re still more intelligent than the ones that have been repeatedly dick slapped and still gladly voting red. It’s not high praise to say their mildly smarter than a single digit IQ average Mega voter.
I’m right there with you, I don’t think they’ve truly learned anything. They’re just recoiling like dumb animals. But then not voting for more direct abuse is still an improvement I will take.
They will not ever naturally care about other people.
I don’t know believe that. I don’t believe that empathy is some inherent trait that cannot be learned. People change, but momentum can be hard to overcome. They’ve just been handed an opportunity by having their momentum disrupted.
They’ve been slapped personally enough to realize MAGA was terrible. They’re already talking about having been fed their opinions. That’s important, it means they’re now reflecting and thinking. Those are important steps.
The stuff does scratch a certain itch, but I’m also moreso just so god damn tired of hearing about stupid fucking idiots that think they’re stupid fucking choice that they now regret is news
Ron said he now votes for Democrats
So then he is still a conservative
I was dumb as a rock
No you’re dumber than shit, and you’ve likely been dumber than shit your whole misbegotten existence.
‘I made a mistake’ people have spent their entire lives in prison for smoking weed and you think we should just turn around and continue to let you participate in society? Cuz you made an oopsie whoopsie and voted for what’s happening in the country and it’s just so happened to negatively affect you?
Fuck. That. Trump supporters are subhuman and their voting rights should be taken away.
Was? Nah you just jumped ship because it affected you negatively. You still dumber than a rock drooler.
100% this. If he didn’t lose his job he’d bend over backwards and take more of it.
Ron, who served in the military for 25 years, said the 2008 housing market crash left him “really disillusioned with the Democratic Party.”
When he couldn’t find work in Detroit, he moved to Georgia. He supported Republicans because he associated them with bigger spending on defense.
He was so upset at the Democrats for the 2008 housing crisis (Which was caused by private equity, not the government, also remind me who was the fucking president in 2008? I seem to have lost my memory on that /s) that he moved to the south and supported increased spending on the military and defence instead of checks notes FUCKING HOUSING.
Fuck this absolute twat.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. These people were inundated with powerful propaganda and influential family structures and managed to escape it. MFing these people and calling them twats isn’t going to win their hearts and minds and working people need as many allies as we can gather against a billionaire class that continues to tighten their grip.
I’m just as frustrated as you and people like them voting these ghouls into power is the reason they’re in power, but they speak some truth here and maybe they can convince some of their mags family to change course.
Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are big fans of spending on housing, not since the Red Scare of the 1950s. Investments in public goods carry a faint odor of socialism and are therefore verboten in the United States.
The (Republican-led) government did play a role in bringing about the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis: George W. Bush’s administration successfully lobbied for the abolition of regulations which had previously prevented people with insufficient credit from getting a mortgage approved.
But of course the right wing narrative held Jewish bankers at fault for inner city types defaulting on their mortgages, bankrupting Lehman Brothers et al. Not a combination of deregulation and corporate greed.
Ron, who served in the military for 25 years, said the 2008 housing market crash left him “really disillusioned with the Democratic Party.”
I lost it at that. The market fucking collapsed while Bush was president. That’s some genuine “everything I know is from watching Focks Nooz”
“Ron, who served in the military for 25 years, said the 2008 housing market crash left him “really disillusioned with the Democratic Party.”” …what? How unaware does someone have to be to say something like that? The GOP took (literally) the WH and held congress for most of the years leading up to the '08 Crash. I mean, not knowing that the GOP are the ones that led us into the Great Depression (a feat they’re about to repeat) is one thing, but this moron was alive and presumably can read during the events he is describing.
we need to stick together
Tell that to the disappeared that went to the US concentration camps thanks to your trump vote
