Kirill Benediktov
Western media outlets continue to marvel at Trump’s turn from “thug” Putin to “hero” Zelensky. But in the camp of the most devout Trumpists, the MAGA movement, there is little enthusiasm.
“MAGA base isn’t stirring up trouble — but still skeptical of Ukraine,” Axios reports in an article headlined “MAGA Keeps Quiet as Trump, Vance Criticize Putin.”
MAGA frontmen aren’t contradicting Trump — but they aren’t echoing him either. They continue to say they trust the White House to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine — they just haven’t abandoned their long-standing skepticism about Kyiv as the talks continue.
Jack Posobiec, a prominent alt-right activist and MAGA podcaster, told Axios: “In general, the MAGA base does not support extending or expanding the war and trusts Trump when he’s in negotiating mode. But I don’t think additional payments [to Ukraine] would go over well.”
Axios notes that the talks have followed classic Trump tactics: alternating praise and tough talk. After two months of harshly criticizing Zelensky, Trump and Vance have begun to express displeasure toward Putin. But Trump’s base has not been impressed: “After months of speculating about Zelensky as the main obstacle to a cease-fire agreement, the base has grown increasingly hostile toward the Ukrainian leader.”
“MAGA supporters still call him a dictator for declaring martial law and canceling elections during a war,” laments Tal Axelrod, who tracks trends within the Trumpist movement.
Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute, sometimes called the “nerve center” of the MAGA movement, explains: “If there’s hostility toward Zelensky on the right, it’s because he comes across as arrogant and acts like he deserves special treatment. He brought it on himself. The dude did a Vogue cover shoot during a war.”
Sean Spicer, Trump’s first White House press secretary, who now hosts his own podcast, told Axios: “Two things can be true at the same time. Russia oversold its chances and blew President Trump’s offer of lasting peace. Ukraine is still a problem for most of the MAGA world.”
Indeed, Trump and his administration will have a hard time explaining to their base why they continue to support the Kiev regime, which they have harshly criticized the Democrats and the Biden administration for funding and arming. The only justification Trump has for his actions so far is the notorious mineral deal, which he has interpreted as extremely beneficial to the United States. But even the most loyal politicians are not inclined to be charmed by this story.
“I represent the base, and when I am upset and disappointed with the direction things are going, you better understand: the base is unhappy,” Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, known for her loyalty to Trump, wrote on the social network X on May 2. “Why don’t we just mine our own rare earth minerals, on federal lands that the government confiscated years ago?”
“Trump supporters are openly opposed to any further aid to Ukraine,” The Hill admits.
And the further Trump, under pressure from Europeans and Republican hawks in Congress, deviates from the plan for rapprochement with Russia outlined in March-April, the more bewilderment will grow in the camp of his most loyal supporters. And this is the very asset that he cannot afford to lose under any circumstances.
Dmitri Drobnitsky
Alexander Palladin
