Triumph of the Swill

A Night at the Garden with Trump and the Cult of MAGA

Here is my exclusive report inside Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, which is also on Counterpunch. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help me produce original and insightful journalism like this.

Trumpism is capacious. It contains contradictions and absurdities. It borrows from the left and the right. It’s propelled by an explosive mix of love and hate. Anyone can afford the price of admission. They only need to embrace Trump, MAGA, and conspiracies.

MAGA was in force on a crisp Sunday afternoon in late October outside Madison Square Garden. I joined tens of thousands of faithful seeking entry to the Woodstock of fascism. The lineup featured some of the worst people in America: Elon Musk, Stephen Miller, Rudy Giuliani, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK, Jr., JD Vance, Tucker Carlson, Elise Stefanik, Trump’s progeny, C-list racists and cranks, and the Demagogue-in-Chief himself. 

Trump is the greatest conman in history. He is a cult leader. He has sold his followers on America, or at least the idea that America was once great, it’s being destroyed by traitors on the inside colluding with enemies on the outside, and if his supporters make him dictator he will solve all of America’s problems. Trump will fix the border, end inflation and wokeism, bring world peace, return prosperity, stop boys from becoming girls. 

That isn’t enough to win the presidency, but the Democrats are assisting him with inflation, endless wars, and decades of turning right-wing atrocities into bipartisan policies. Trump is there with simple, flashy answers and a sense of purpose for those hurting economically, alienated socially, and enraged politically. 

During the six-hour-long rally at MSG, speakers mentioned inflation and the high cost of gas and groceries more than 40 times. War, World War III, nuclear war, Democrats as the party of war, and Trump as antiwar were mentioned more than 30 times. 

If all you know of a Donald Trump rally is descriptions of a “Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny, and Racism,” you would not understand why nearly 20,000 people would pack the Garden. It was a hatefest. But that description, replicated across liberal media, is as one-sided as Trump calling the hours of bigotry a “lovefest.”

It’s both. There were torrents of hate about Puerto Rico, “transgender insanity,” racist slurs against Harris, references to “her pimp handlers,” immigrants as “vicious … criminal … savage,” and Democrats as “a bunch of degenerates, low-lifes, Jew-haters.” An alleged childhood friend of Trump called Harris “the Antichrist” and brandished a crucifix. Bashing trans people and immigrants was unrelenting and met with effusive cheers. But speakers also invoked love for America, God, Trump, the audience, and New York City more than 90 times. 

Amma is speaking on the phone behind me. She lives in the Bronx and is originally from Guyana. She is an anti-vaxxer. She refused to get vaccinated because of “side effects” and was fired from public school job teaching special education. She said the vaccine mandates tipped her over into supporting Trump. She opposes sanctuary cities, said climate change is being caused by airplane contrails, and also complained about the economy.

It doesn’t matter Trump is selling a giant lie. His followers believe he will return America to greatness. Everyone I spoke to was excited to be at the rally. It made them feel good. They felt they were making history and were on the winning team. 

They fervently believed America was once a great nation where hard work was rewarded, real Americans were respected, and the good life came to those who earned it. But now traitors and enemies were destroying the country. They had unwavering faith one man could vanquish the evildoers, fix every problem, and Make America Great Again. But they have to elect God Emperor Trump to make it possible. 

Trump is a classic populist authoritarian in which people invest their hopes in an all-powerful, all-knowing leader who acts for the good. If that sounds god-like, it’s deliberate. Trump overtly encourages his flock to consider him the “second coming of God.” 

The melding of love and hate points to how MAGA absorbs contradictions seamlessly. After speakers vilified trans people, another said MAGA included all sexual orientations. One speaker blasted Biden and Harris for abandoning Afghan allies to the Taliban, then an anti-immigrant video denounced the Democrats for letting in Afghan “terrorists.” One businessman howled, “we must crush jihad,” but Trump boasted of support from Muslim voters in Michigan, saying, “they’re great.”

Christine and Nick in the black MAGA hats are from Long Island. She said, “I am not a feminist. I am not against women, but I don't think Kamala can sit down with Putin. He won't stand for it. Same with that guy from Korea,” referring to Kim Jong Un. Christine said she supported Trump because “I don't want my tax dollars to pay for kids cutting off their genitals.” She added that illegal immigrants “are coming over here and they can vote.”

Outside the Garden, Kathy, an immigrant from the Philippines who lives on Long Island, said she was concerned about “illegals” and wants them deported. “Stop paying them,” she said. It was a nod to a conspiracy theory that the federal government lavishes money on undocumented immigrants, which is utterly false. Like everyone else interviewed, Kathy was both an election denialist, claiming Trump won in 2020, and mentioned high prices and inflation as a reason she supported Trump. When asked what she likes about Trump, she said, “He’s normal.” 

Kathy was in the throes of staggering delusion. Everyone else I talked to on Sunday, about a dozen people total, had gone off the deep end.

I asked an African-American man from Brooklyn why he was there. He said twice, “Something’s afoot,” hinting at a sinister conspiracy. He also mentioned the economy, saying, “We’re getting raped in the pocketbook.”

Amma lived in the Bronx and is from Guyana. She was fired as a public school teacher after refusing to get a Covid vaccine. Amma said vaccine mandates tipped her over into supporting Trump. She complained about sanctuary cities and the price of groceries. She gestured at the sky and said airplanes were being used to engineer climate change. 

Christine was also from Long Island. She said, “I am not a feminist. I am not against women, but I don't think Kamala can sit down with Putin. He won't stand for it. Same with that guy from Korea,” referring to Kim Jong Un. Christine said she supported Trump because “I don't want my tax dollars to pay for kids cutting off their genitals.” She added that illegal immigrants “are coming over here and they can vote.”

One man in his twenties said immigrants in Ohio go into supermarkets with $6,000 on EBT cards to buy groceries. He claimed immigrants with little kids knock on people’s doors. When residents open their doors, thinking the family is begging for food, a gang of immigrants rush in, steal everything, and beat up the family. “It’s happening a lot,” he said. 

Hardcore Trump supporters are terrible. One might even say garbage. Whatever pains a cruel America has inflicted on them does not justify their choice to join a fascist cult.  

They freely entered the sinister world of MAGA. It is post-factual, post-logical, post-reality. Conspiracies serve an important function. If you think the government controls the weather, the 2020 election was stolen, illegals are being given princely sums and the right to vote, or countless other falsehoods, then you will believe anything. 

You would believe Giuliani when he said Trump would save America from Commie Nazis, or Trump’s vow to “build a beautiful dome over our country” — ideas right out of “The Simpsons.”

But there is more going on. Believing in illogical, baseless conspiracies, makes it easier to absorb contradictory ideas such as Trump is saving democracy but needs to be a dictator, or he is antiwar even though he encouraged Israel to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites, which would risk a conflagration with Russia. 

MAGA world is about a feeling. Through Trump his masses feel powerful. Speeches gave the audience pride about themselves, their nation, and most of all Trump. Has-beens like Hulk Hogan and Giuliani, and the unfunniest comedian ever made attendees feel like MAGA stars. Compare that to Kamala Harris. She enlists mega-stars like Oprah, Taylor, Bruce, JLo, Beyonce, and Bad Bunny in hopes their popularity will rub off on her. 

The man in the red-and-black flannel shirt in the middle said immigrants in Ohio go into supermarkets with $6,000 on EBT cards to buy groceries. He claimed immigrants with little kids knock on people’s doors. When residents open their doors, thinking the family is begging for food, a gang of immigrants rush in, steal everything, and beat up the family. “It’s happening a lot,” he said. 

At MSG, some of the biggest cheers were for Elon Musk, Dana White, CEO of the UFC, and tech bro Vivek Ramaswamy. They attract young men to Trump’s cult of hypermasculinity that has created an unprecedented gender gap among Gen Z voters with 59 percent of young women supporting Harris but only 42 percent of young men. The audience was at least a quarter brown and Black, there were lots of women, but it skewed male. It was codgers and conspiracists, construction workers and incels. 

Speakers lavished praise on Trump. They said he would save America, lauded his kindness, his generosity, and denied he was a bully. Tucker Carlson claimed years of reporting that Trump rages in private at his enemies was a lie. “He’s talking about the people and the country he loves in his private time. Trust me,” said Carlson. 

Ramaswamy, who ran as a more extreme, conspiratorial and deceitful version of Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, said, “Donald Trump is actually the president who will unite this country. America First includes all Americans regardless of their race or gender or sexual orientation.”

Tulsi Gabbard, the Bernie Bro turned MAGA rock star, said, “It is love that brings us together here today. That love for freedom. That love for our country and love for each other as fellow Americans as children of God that compels us to take action to save our country and defend our freedom.”

Dr. Phil, the celebrity TV doctor labeled a “charlatan” and a “quack,” said, “I love this country. I do. I love this country. I stand up when our flag goes by. I put my hand over my heart when they play our national anthem, and I’m so proud to see so many people take time out of their day to come out here and stand up for this country. … [Donald Trump] loves this country too.”

Love and hate are intimately linked. Ramaswamy said:

“We are lost. We are hungry to be part of something bigger than ourselves, yet we can’t even answer what it means to be an American today. We’re in the middle of a national identity crisis. Faith in God, patriotism, hard work, family. These things have disappeared, only to be replaced by woke-ism and transgenderism, climatism, COVID-ism, depression, anxiety, fentanyl, suicide. These are symptoms of a deeper void of purpose and meaning in our country, and right now, we need to step up and fill that void with our own vision.”

Byron Donalds, a MAGA Congressman from a Florida district infested with wealthy white retirees, linked American greatness to bashing trans people. “We’re going to get men out of women’s sports under Donald Trump. America will take its place again as the Shining City on the Hill, as the leader of the world, as the number one nation, as the great experiment, because he’s going to fix it once again.”

Trump is the master of this approach. When he took the red-carpeted stage nearly five hours into the event, he praised his followers. “I’m thrilled to be back in the city I love and thousands of proud hard-working American patriots. You’re with me. We’re all together. We’ve always been together.” Trump was optimistic. “I am here today with a message of hope for all Americans.” Then Trump began his strongman pitch emblazoned on his lectern and held aloft in thousands of signs that read, “Trump will fix it.”

Trump promised munificence. He would end taxes on tips, on overtime, on Social Security benefits, bestow a tax credit for family caregivers, slash energy prices in half in a year, and make interests on car loans tax deductible, “but only for cars made in America.” 

Trump promised wrath. Election day would be “liberation day.” Towns and cities that had been “invaded and conquered” would be scoured of “vicious and bloodthirsty criminals” and “savage gangs” in the “largest deportation program” in U.S. history. To roars of “USA, USA,” Trump called for “the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen.” He vowed to ban sanctuary cities. Trump spewed lies that Democrats had abandoned Southern states lashed by deadly hurricanes because, “They spent all of their money on bringing in illegal immigrants and flying them in by beautiful jet planes.” He claimed, “325,000 children are missing, dead, sex slaves, or slaves. They came through the open border and they’re gone.”

Kathy, an immigrant from the Philippines who lives on Long Island, said she like Trump because “He’s normal.” Yes, she said that. Kathy is concerned about “illegals” and wants them deported. “Stop paying them,” she said. She is both an election denialist, claiming Trump won in 2020, and mentioned high prices and inflation as a reason she supported Trump.

It’s the same script Trump read from in 2016, if a little more malevolent. For a decade, Trump has successfully racialized class grievances. Workers know they are being screwed over by the rich and powerful, but they lack the words and ideas to understand it. That makes many easy marks for a billionaire demagogue who says, “Blame the immigrants next to you for making your life worse,” and not his plutocratic buddies. In 2024, there are new twists that display Trump’s ability to steal ideas from any source and attack from both the left and right at once. 

Kamala Harris’s biggest mistake is allying with Dick Cheney, who has 4.5 million deaths on his hands as the architect of the post-9/11 order, and his warmonger progeny Liz Cheney, who voted with Trump 93 percent of the time. 

Speakers delighted in trashing the Democrats’ new BFFs. Tulsi Gabbard said, “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney and it’s a vote for more war, likely World War III and nuclear war. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a man who wants to end wars, not start them.”

Tucker Carlson said, while giggling, “Liz Cheney’s out there with Kamala Harris and here’s Bobby Kennedy calling to protect women’s sports at a Trump rally. It’s a realignment. It’s unbelievable.”

RFK, Jr., said of Dick Cheney and John Bolton endorsing Harris, “These are the people that gave us a war in Iraq, the worst foreign policy catastrophe that’s ever happened to this country. These are the people that gave us the Patriot Act that launched the surveillance state. These are the people that are trying to undermine voting rights in this country by weaponizing the federal agencies against political candidates, including me and Donald Trump.”

In other words, Trump is the antiwar, anti-surveillance, pro-voting rights candidate. It’s another lie, and it also doesn’t matter. Democrats gave Trump an opening to make these words sound true to millions of people.

Even more brazen, a viciously anti-immigrant video shown during Trump’s speech ended with the words, “End the Occupation. Liberate America.” 

Trump’s campaign is now stealing from the Palestinian liberation struggle. The move stinks of Stephen Miller who delivered a blood-and-soil tirade straight out of 1938 thundering, “America is for Americans and Americans only.” 

In 2017, Miller helped pen Trump’s “American Carnage” inaugural speech. Listening to it in D.C. not far from the White House, I said, “That’s not a description. Carnage is the plan.” And there began the shambolic shitshow for four years ending in a million preventable Covid-19 deaths. 

Eight years wiser and with four years to plan, Trump, Miller, and the rest of MAGA are telling us they plan to occupy America. They are itching to use the military to terrify, subjugate, and ethnically cleanse. The only liberation will be for their violent desires and that of their Herrenvolk who went wild at mentions of mass deportations. They loved the idea.

I will be posting more articles before and after the election, so keep an eye out and please share!