Can you ever forgive MAGA voters?

[kentuck]

Many of them know they did wrong. They knew Trump was a con. They knew his past. They knew he was not a good person. But they voted for him anyway.

And now, they are hurting. Not just financially, but emotionally. They have deep regret and they want off the ship. But there is no land in sight.

If they think Trump has done them wrong, they should recognize what he has done to the rest of America.

It is said "better late than never". But sometimes, late is too late.

There are numerous reports of buyer's regret with Trump. They are begging for forgiveness. True Christians, we are taught, are able to forgive trespasses. Many MAGA voters have deserted Trump because of the economy - the issue they thought he was the strongest. But they were wrong.

They were terribly wrong. And now they want to integrate with the sane people of the world. They had their little crazy fling and now they want to be "normal" again.

They sense the great damage they have helped to ignite. And they want out.

They want to be your friend again.

Do you have that much forgiveness in your heart.

[hlthe2b]

1. I'll NEVER FORGET, that's for sure (in some views, that means I never really forgive, so... )

I will say it depends on a lot of factors especially how much they actively used their MAGA views to hurt others and relish Trump et al doing so.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Forgive? Perhaps

Forget. No.
Plus, i want some of these people say they'll be voting D from now on. But, I barely read or hear that.

[Junipercity]

88. Not at this stage of the game.

No, no, no.

[Mad_Machine76]

126. I'm afraid

that they'll just vote for the next GOP charlatan to emerge from the swamp.

[MineralMan]

3. I don't know many people like those you described..

Lucky me, I guess.

I'll talk to them if they want me to. Mostly, though, they aren't interested. I have some relatives who are or were Trumpers. Can't talk to them about politics. "How are the kids?" "How's the new job going?" That I can do.

If they tell me they're voting for Democrats, though, I'll congratulate them for figuring it out. But I don't try to convert Trumpers. It's a waste of my time.

[COL Mustard]

57. My late Mother was a huge Trump supporter from the instant he came on the political scene.

I tried and failed miserably to convince her after the pussy-grabbing comments that she couldn't vote for him; she just gave me the stink eye like "Oh hell yes I'll vote how I want". I eventually stopped following her on FB and other social media sites because it just got more and more extreme. Of course she voted for him in 2020 and again in 2024, but I'd stopped even trying to discuss politics with her by then. I knew she didn't have a lot of time left and didn't want to waste that time on him.

Last fall, when Hegseth et al wanted to have Mark Kelly executed, I happened to be at her house while that was going on. She said she was outraged and I told her she should be, and by that I meant outraged that someone would have to spell out for people to follow the law. That was the last time we discussed politics at all before she passed early this year.

It's hard to have a relationship with people whose mindset is "he can do nothing wrong" in spite of all the evidence that's right in front of them.

[some_of_us_are_sane]

113. Very sad for you...

You handled it well. Once again, my late grandmother's words come back to me: 'He who does not listen has to feel."

[HappyH]

4. No

I do get a small amount of satisfaction telling them they are getting exactly what they voted for and reminding them that people have been trying to tell them for over a decade now exactly who and what trump is.

[durablend]

5. NO

FAFO

[Ritabert]

6. I cut myself loose from those people long ago.

And I hold a grudge like you read about.

[Alpeduez21]

7. Talk to me after all their shit is cleaned up

[Coventina]

8. NOPE. n/t

[bluestarone]

9. NOPE!

NEVER.

[SSJVegeta]

10. I dont care about your past so much as

I care about what you are going to do from here on out.

[thomski64]

11. Fuck trump voters..

..they own his scheisserei as much as the media and sicko-phants

[IzzaNuDay]

12. HELL to the NO

I have a rather cynical view on forgiveness. It’s like an emotional bank account. Forgive too much and then it’s like your personal emotional state is overdrawn. Why should I withdraw from my personal emotional state to someone who didn’t give a shit about my needs as a citizen?

I say Forget about them. Let them experience the consequences of their actions. Peace out.

[catrose]

13. Forgiveness benefits me, so yes.

That’s not to say I will ever trust them for anything. It’s a good thing our party is a big tent. I am going to stay on the opposite side from the ex-MAGAs for my own safety.

[AStern]

14. I can forgive those that solely got their info from right wing media only to discover other points of view

It's astonishing how much damage right wing media did to this country.

[underpants]

40. They don't even exist in the same (real) world

My folks watch Fox. They bring up what they think are normal news items and I often have no idea what they are talking about.

[FHRRK1]

103. Have a buddy who is a Trumper/Fox guy

Every time I have to state, I don’t speak Fox Newsese.

Just a complete waste of time trying to get through the B.S.

[some_of_us_are_sane]

116. That's a reasonable response...

and to not do that is part of why we still feel the echos of Civil War resentments and pain.

[3_Limes]

15. Fuck them!

The ONLY reason they changed their tune is that they personally were harmed. When others were being harmed, no matter how badly, ot was A-OK with them. Some of them were glad to see their fellow Americans harmed! But now that it's them, suddenly it's a problem. Hell no. Let 'em rot.

[CanonRay]

16. Nope. Fuck em.

[Quiet Em]

17. Nope

They knew and they voted for him anyway.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

18. Only if

if they ask for forgiveness .

[Aristus]

19. Fuck no!

If they voluntarily shoot themselves in the foot, am I obliged to sympathize with them in their pain? They did it to themselves, and the fucking bastards dragged us along with them.

If I believed in Hell, I would wish them in it up to their eyebrows.

[The Roux Comes First]

20. It Feels Like an Awfully Big Stretch to Actually Forgive Unthinking, Mentally-lazy Propaganda Addicts

Who for years thrived on cruelty to others and lib-owning, even if they rarely had the courage to be out front and visible with it. The mockery and sneering aimed typically at folks in my experience far more humane, tolerant, and kind than these supposedly converted selfish bigots has gone on for far too many years to simply be conveniently erased.

[Soul_of_Wit]

21. I feel sorry for their delusions...

...but they hurt me and mine. I can hold a grudge for a very long time. I won't frequent your business. I will actively give you negative word of mouth. I'm a good neighbor, in the live and let live sense, but that is it.

[dalton99a]

22. People who voted for Trump after hearing him brag about grabbing women and watching him mock the disabled reporter?

And then voted for him AGAIN to give him another term?

NO.

[MontanaMama]

23. Absolutely not.

MAGAts will say this should all be swept under the rug with no accountability because they’re bored or embarrassed or they fixate on some other racism focused activity. These crimes against our country cannot be forgiven or it’ll all just happen again. We didn’t punish the confederacy and now we’ve got this mess.

[LoisB]

24. No.

[Ponietz]

25. No -- they are enemies to all free and peace loving people

They were conned because drumpf couldn’t deliver; but nothing has changed about the things they voted for — the hate, greed, dishonesty, gaslighting, racism, cruelty and violence are still there. They are enemies to the United States of America. They are oath breakers. They followed a traitor. Fuck them.

[rampartd]

26. no.

[chicoescuela]

27. Easy answer- nope

[bucolic_frolic]

28. I don't think they knew. They have no moral or intellectual compass. They thought Trump was cool.

They thought if they voted for him they'd all stand a good chance on Celebrity Apprentice. Trump was their path to power and riches. It gave them someone to hate.

[Scrivener7]

29. His appeal to them all was his racism and sexism, and though many

try to make us believe this isn't the whole story, it is

I don't think in terms of forgiveness if them. But I know I'll never trust them.

[Chasstev365]

30. HELL NO!

I can understand the desperation of the German people in the 1930's more than the American idiots between 2016-2026 who supported Trump.

[FoxNewsSucks]

31. Fuck NO.

There would be very, very few exceptions to that. Very few.

[Bettie]

32. No.

I heard what they said about other human beings.

They haven't changed those views, they've just decided to put on a mask, they are pretending to be something they are not.

So, they can't be trusted and forgiveness requires trust that the behavior will not happen again.

It 100% will happen again.

[Aviation Pro]

33. Fuck no

Not ever.

[zanana1]

34. NEVER!

[lark]

35. No nt

[Blue Full Moon]

36. After a very long time. Punishing has to happen.

Not punishing bad behavior and just forgetting it for the good of the country. Is exactly how we got here. Along with not repealing any of the terrible republican bills and making it right for American families.

[underpants]

37. No

[Grim Chieftain]

38. Forgive? No way in hell

After his first reign of terror, they should have known what they were getting. His Project 2025 laid it all out, the worst was yet to come. They are complicit in the destruction of this country, and I have no forgiveness or empathy for them.

[BH liberal]

39. As citizens, we all have a duty to...

do research on candidates and their stances on issues, etc. before deciding who deserves our votes. Too many Trump voters in 2015/16 failed to find out what Trump had been during his adult life...a man unworthy of serving in public office, especially higher office. His eventual supporters failed the rest of us. That, in itself, is hard to forgive when the consequences of a poor choice for president are so dire. As for the "willfully ignorant" whose self-serving actions, whatever the motivations, contributed to his election...well, they are even harder to forgive. Too many Trump voters allowed themselves to be swayed by Republican Party wedge issues and culture war strategies. As for the flat-out haters and bigots who flocked to him, they are impossible to forgive.

I don't even want to talk about forgiveness for anyone voting for him the second time around!

[EastBayGuy]

41. Only if they promise to NEVER VOTE AGAIN!

[CousinIT]

42. NO. I'm nearer to the end of my life than the beginning and for the remainder of it..

...I have to suffer with WHAT THEY DID. It won't ever be rectified in my lifetime, and it is already causing my retirement to be WAY MORE STRESSFUL than it ever had to be.

So NO!

Not goddamned ever.

[orangecrush]

43. Hell yes

If they vote for Democratic candidates.


Even if they stay home and refuse to vote for MAGA candidates.

It's called a teachable moment.

Purity tests weaken us, much to the glee of MAGA.

It's about winning, and controlling the political agenda afterwards to make things better, not about my need to punish or feel self righteous.

And I don't purport to speak for anyone but myself.

[Martin Eden]

156. I'm with you

Negative energy directed at people conned into voting for Trump is wasted energy.

Welcome them aboard when they're ready to vote for Democrats, even if they're doing it only because they were able to connect the dots between Trump and their economic pain.

Those who stay home and don't vote are in an intermediary stage. There is nothing to be gained by alienating them from us.

Our energy should be focused on winning elections. If we need to vent anger, direct it at the fascist oligarchs who run the rightwing propaganda machine that is largely responsible for turning our friends and family into MAGA.

[Luciferous]

44. No, especially the ones who voted for

him the second time knowing that he was a traitorous, felonious, piece of shit rapist.

[Liberal In Red State]

45. NO

[haele]

46. Not really - there's "Friends and Family "..

And then there's BFFs and Family you trust with sanity and life.
MAGA can never really be trusted, because even if they'll give you the shirt off their backs, share a laugh with you, lend you money, move your stuff, or let you crash for a couple months while your life needs to be put back together, you personally will only be seen as one of the "good ones"...
MAGA, or their Church, or their personal desire to be comfortable with Nazis around them will always be a wall between you and them
I can't really forgive, I just need to accept - but I certainly don't ever forget.
I can always just be polite, but the level of complacent acceptance and trust I used to have with them is forever gone.
Because even the nice MAGA won't interfere if I get hauled off for "thought crimes" due to my political stance; they're the types who will stand by and wonder what I did wrong - just like they stand by now and watch "those others" get dragged off, even if they privately don't agree with what's going on.
They might throw you a life vest if one is easy for them to pick up - but they will never rock the lifeboat to reach in and save anyone, much less you.

[Emile]

47. HELL NO!

[sagetea]

48. uhmmm

It's hard to forgive somebody with as much hate as they have. Their hatred is so strong in hating other people...women, POC, dis abled, animals, and this country, they voted for a pedophile to appease their hatred.

They make us beg (pleading they have changed and never again, please tell people to forgive me so I can fuck them over again!) to put on a facade that we are OK with their treatment of us? No. To people like MAGA, we are weak when we forgive. They see themselves (maybe unconsciously) better, braver, stronger than us. I will never give them the opportunity again to ruin our laws, our democracy, our land, and our immigrants again.

They knew what they were doing. They lie when they say they 'didn't know'.

Personally, no, I don't think I have it in me to forgive them, at all.


sage

[kairos12]

49. Never, nope, and hell no.

[yankee87]

50. Can't forgive

Parent of LGBTQ children, and no I will NEVER FORGIVE. I gave up on some family members. Screw them, voting to kill my children.

[vapor2]

51. Nope

[Escape]

52. They voted for Cancer...

Not just a cancer for them, but for all of us. Hard to forgive that.

[aeromanKC]

53. NO!!!!!!

Easiest poll ever.

[Old-8643]

54. After they enabled the destruction of our Democracy, took food from the mouth of babies, end USAID

They are all complicit, IMHO. I could go on and on, as we all could.
Canceling a women's health care rights. LGBTQI rights. Racial inequality. Veterans left out in the cold.

Oh and it is OUR NATION not some stinking homeland. George W Bush started that crap in 2000-2008. the only ones who can call our nation homeland are the indigenous people already living here for countless generations.

Nobody called the USA a homeland prior to 2000 and the "W" regime and his 2 phony wars.

Nothing frees up cash like a war.

Its fascism plain and simple.

I have never heard a repuke apologize for saying things like "the only good democrat is a Dead Democrat"
they will not get forgiveness from me

[ihaveaquestion]

55. Yes - On a case by case basis.

They need to say they're sorry and keep saying it. It's their fault, so they must atone.

[TheProle]

56. My personal take

I don't deal in vendettas and grudges. We are where we are. If a former MAGA voter is open to joining even a fragile coalition that results in Democratic control of Congress and the White House and gives us a path to restoring sanity to the USSC, I will take it.

How I feel about their prior voting or their personal level of culpability in the current shitshow is immaterial. What matters is course-correction for future generations.

[orangecrush]

70. Thanks for the oasis of rational thinking

[Skittles]

143. FUCK that

do you know how many people worldwide are DEAD because of Trump voters? I don't fucking WANT their "help", they all go FUCK THEMSELVES....better to concentrate on the idiots who failed to vote

[Martin Eden]

158. "What matters is course-correction for future generations."

Spot-on.

[TommieMommy]

58. Nope, I have distanced myself from them. I will be polite but that's it. Everyone knew the reputation

[DeeDeeNY]

59. They weren't just ignorant. They embraced willful ignorance.

Once Trump served his first term, followed by his leading a mob of insurrectionists on January 6, it is inexcusable for them to believe anything he said after that and then vote for him a second time.

[La Coliniere]

153. Their embracing of willful ignorance is something

I cannot ever forgive. They knew they were voting for an immoral monster but did it regardless. That explains most of my extended family whom I am quite happy to be alienated from for the rest of my life.

[Ol Janx Spirit]

60. This is a joke, right?

Thanks for the laugh!

[BobTheSubgenius]

61. It's on an almost case-by-case basis.

Thankfully, I am Canadian, so I don't and won't have to confront this question head-on. There are still some I know personally on both sides of "my divide;" some that realized the pitfall they'd walked into early on and pulled back, and some that STILL cling to that grotesque disaster.

[kimbutgar]

62. I can forgive but never trust their judgement again

I have a magaloon brother in law who is intolerable. Luckily I only see him twice a year but I will never respect him and feel sorry for my sister in law.

[LuvLoogie]

63. I have family I love who are trump supporters

The side of the family who were Reagan people. I don't engage with them anymore. When I see them we're family. But I don't have the openness with them anymore. It's changed. It's like heartbreak, mourning past relationships.

I am too exhausted to hold onto my anger with them. But I can't fake it with them. I think they know it.

[callous taoboy]

148. You perfectly capture the feelings I have toward my MAGA family members.

There was our family pre-MAGA, and now here we are with MAGA on the wane and we are a family that has completely split up. As it has shaken out, I am the only member of the fam that still communicates with almost all members.

[Dave Id]

64. Forgive?

They ignored the warnings about Trump because, God forgive them if they'd ever vote for a Black woman for president. They still haven't forgotten of forgiven the voters for electing Barack Obama, my God! he's Black, president.

[drmeow]

65. Forgiveness

requires admitting wrongdoing, making amends, and agreeing to change. When you leave the confessional, you leave with penance and the instruction to sin no more. Those are the terms of forgiveness.

MAGA wants forgiveness without any of that - to which I say F#$$ to h$_& off.

[NNadir]

66. I'm perfectly happy to add to the many No votes here.

[hamsterjill]

67. No.

Their very existence is a complete contradiction of who I am. As a woman, they would (and have) taken rights away from me and celebrated those acts.

As an American, they have desecrated my sacred country around the world. They have proven that greed and stupidity could be celebrated. They have refused to see facts that were blatantly thrust in their faces. They have applauded acts of absolute cruelty. They have applauded people going hungry and going without medical care. And they have done it over and over and over again.

And they are all just plain stupid. They are in actuality a minority - just a vocal one. It's time that the majority - those of us who have a little bit of sanity left - take back this country. We need to over shout, over rule and over come these fools, and then move forward without them.

[W_HAMILTON]

68. After three elections involving this asshole? Fuck no.

[MaeScott]

69. Nope.

Nope nope nope nope nope nope

[Kaleva]

71. Polls show that MAGA voters still support Trump

[virgdem]

72. NO!

[Wicked Blue]

73. Not unless they make SERIOUS reparations

and grovel

[CaptainTruth]

74. NO!!!

The 77 million people who voted for Trump are responsible for the downfall of America. They are the ones who brought all of this upon us, & I will never forget it. They destroyed literally hundreds of years of work & sacrifice by good patriotic Americans.

Given what they've done, they don't deserve my forgiveness. They don't deserve my friendship. They don't deserve any benefit that this country could provide them.

Honestly, I feel like if they care so little about America & their fellow Americans they should pack their shit & get out. Just leave. Go to another country & stop f**king up this one.

My whole life (& I'm not young) I've been a very caring, kind, & forgiving person, but IMHO what MAGAts have done is beyond forgivable, for me at least.

[RussBLib]

75. Depends upon how contrite/sincere they are

….if people can forgive a person for murdering their child, I can forgive MAGA, but there should be some kind of probationary period.

https://russblib.blogspot.com/?m=1

[Gaytano70]

76. Cry me a fucking river, magats.

Then just fuck off.

[mwmisses4289]

77. Maybe. In about a thousand years (or longer),

when they show they no longer hate America so much.

[GoodRaisin]

78. So we had a former friend of the family turned magat contact us the other day

saying that “Trump was a pos”.

But he tried to temper his responsibility by claiming “all” politicians are pos’s. So, in essence, trying to imply we were “ both” wrong.

No, I’m not accepting that. That’s just more bullshit.

The good news is that this ignorant asshole will stop voting now, which is okay with me. But I still don’t want him coming back around us again.

[Mysterian]

79. No, I view them the same as rabid nazis who supported Hitler

even as Berlin was reduced to ruins.

[kentuck]

94. Good analogy!

I wonder how many Germans, after the war, believed in much the same way as most of the folks here believe? Did they question whether they could ever forgive those Nazis that followed Hitler to ruin? Is that why they tore down all the monuments to that monster?

There are more similarities than most Americans care to admit, in my opinion.

How many German families were torn apart because of their love for the Fuhrer? How many people were heartbroken when they asked their friends, "Can't you see what is happening?"

Once we asked, "How could the German people, intelligent as any on Earth, let this happen?"

I think we now know.

[aggiesal]

80. Can you ever forgive MAGA voters? NO!

[lpbk2713]

81. I have low tolerance for willfull ignorance.

They should be haunted by the decisions they have made and the votes they
have cast.

[dem4decades]

82. No, they still love him.

[FullySupportDems]

83. I feel like it doesn't matter, they've always been there

I shoulda never moved back to the red area I'm from. But, family with special needs. So I've grown up with the rednecks who were happy to tell a ten year old girl atheist she's going to hell.
Now the maga crowd includes my own family. Even with special needs members, go figure. Forgive them? Hell, if they ever figure out how messed up they are, and what they've done, my forgiveness won't help much. They'll be crushed. But I don't expect it to happen to many of them. They'll just blame t-rump for lying to them and move on, as if the rest of us weren't screaming it the whole time. It's what they do. They have never cared what someone like me thinks. I just feel sorry for them being so damned foolish and easy to deceive. And I don't like them as people.

[Warpy]

84. I already have, for the most part

because most of them aren't stupid or assholes. Really. Besides, they're kicking themselves harder than I ever would.


The few who are angry jerks who want to burn the whole country down can't exactly bask in forgiveness. I just hope losing for a while will convince them to retreat back into their toxic little groups of like minded assholes, going back to prepping for doomsday. I don't exactly forgive such people, but since I'd rather see them than be them, I suppose there's some tepid compassion there.

Face it, party honchos funked it. They failed to address inflation and the late switcheroo from an obviously ill Biden to Harris was handled poorly and made them look disorganized and weak. I don't fault people or falling for Fatso's crap. Most are not falling for it now.

[barbtries]

85. I don't know.

some are in my family.

I also struggle with those who were oblivious or too busy or cynical to vote. Some of these people I love! sigh.

[lizardkingjr]

86. No.

It's going to take decades to repair everything that he broke/will break.

[H2O Man]

87. Recommended.

I've noted before that I played a role in getting Rubin Carter's contribution to a book by a professor at Binghamton University. Rubin wrote about the power of forgiveness. In this context, I'm not talking about "forgiving" any maga individual who still supports the felon. There are many who now realize that they had been fooled into supporting him. They have changed their minds. Rubin's friend Malcolm X said that you have to give people room to change. I find those who insist they will never forgive to be shallow when compared to Rubin and Malcolm. It's not that I don't understand their thinking, for I do see the stumbling blocks that prevent them from becoming fully human. I do, but I hope that they can find their way beyond that, rather than being stuck in an unhealthy way.

[Figarosmom]

89. The ones i know i already broke off with long ago.

They had their second chance long ago too. So no not ever letting them back in my life.

[ShazzieB]

90. I am lucky enough not to have any Trumpers in my immediate life.

I imagine my ex bil is a Trumper, but I never really liked him anyway, and I wrote him off as a loss when he let my sister die abandoned in a nursing home after she left his ignorant ass. I have a nephew who is a semifamous RW activist, but he lives in another state and cut off contact with me years ago. So there are no Trumpers with whom I currently have a personal relationship.

That said, my attitude toward the faceless mass of red hatted peabrains who voted for him is that if the country survives this, I'll be willing to put this behind me and move on. If one of them should express their regret to me personally, I'll be civil to them. However... if they expect our side to apologize for being "mean" to them, they will have a VERY long wait.

They are the ones who owe a huge apology to everyone in the US and around the world who has been harmed by their poor choices. That includes but is by no means limited to the following:
- all of our erstwhile allies that Orange Satan has alienated
- all of those who have died, been injured, or lost loved ones due to his actions in waging unnecessary wars, blowing up boats in international waters (which he claimed to be drug smugglers with no evidence whatsoever), etc.
- the millions around the world who have lost their lives or will lose them due to the defending of USAID
- the entire nation of Ukraine, who he has turned his back on and left to the "tender mercies" of Vladimir the Terrible Putin
- the citizens of every country he has threatened to invade or otherwise take over, including Canada, Greenland, Cuba, and/or any I have may have forgotten
- and too many others to mention

I could go on for days, but I'm tired, so I'll stop here and let you all use your imaginations to fill in the blanks. My point is that everyone who voted for him, ever, owes so many apologies to so many millions of people that the idea of any of them ever expecting to receive an apology from any of us is absoputely laughable.

Another thing I will not do is pat them on the head and say, "There, there, you did your best, what a shame that you were taken in by that Orange Hellbeast." When I hear Trumpers proclaim in YouTube videos that they voted for him because he promised no wars or said he would lower gas and grocery prices, all I can do is stare in bafflement that anyone would still believe one word he says.

To sum up, I have nothing to apologize to them for, and they have everything to apologize to everybody for.

[maspaha]

91. No. Never.

[flvegan]

92. Let me know how they vote in the next few elections. n/t

[surfered]

93. Yes, if they confess their sin and sincerely ask for forgiveness

[sop]

95. According to the Catholic official Rite of Penance, forgiveness requires penitents to go through four steps:

contrition, confession, penance and absolution.

MAGA penitents must be contrite, express a heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed, along with the intention of sinning no more. Shit, we all know these morons will vote for the next racist scumbag with an "R" after his/her name, so contrition is impossible for MAGA. Confession, the verbal declaration of our sins, must be honest, but MAGA morons are incapable of honesty, they always lie. Acts of penance are required before forgiveness, but MAGA morons will never atone for their vote. And lastly, absolution being the final step to forgiveness, I'm not absolving any of these fucking MAGA morons.

[LSparkle]

96. HELL NO. That is all. Not ever. NEVER!!

[rogue emissary]

97. Why were they terribly wrong???

When they admit their racism and misogyny, which is almost impossible for most people. When they actively vote to repair the damage they did to the nation, I'll forgive them.

[PatrickforB]

98. Maybe I understand forgiveness in a different way. I see at as an inner release of people who have wronged me.

Let me explain.

A MAGAT votes for Trump. This has wronged me and every other sane American. Because the guy is a total fuck-up dirtbag grifter. Not only is there not an honest bone in his body, there are no decent bones, either.

But Trump is merely a symptom of an end-stage capitalist system that holds profits above human life and the earth itself. A system that encourages and rewards cruelty and sociopathic behavior.

Now, the people at the top of the heap, these modern-day billionaire robber barons are benefitting from a century-long class war that has been waged so successfully that our government has become a government of, by and for corporations and billionaires, and we are getting screwed every which way but loose.

Am I enraged? Not any more. Because I cannot allow these people to have free rent in my head another minute in terms of hating them. Because why? We live in a system of manufactured consent, which is what Trump, Fox, Truth Social, X and all the right-wing talk shows and podcasts do. These people get paid really well by the robber barons and their think-tanks to drive wedges and keep hate and outrage fresh.

We live in an evil system, people. And if Democrats think we can simply go back to the way it has been, with donors ensuring most members of Congress keep this system just the way it is, regardless of what they say, they should think again. If we are ever, ever to recover from this Trump-fascist nightmare, then there needs to be some serious accountability. Trials, indictments, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, child rape and murder, human trafficking.

That is a given.

Now let's talk about forgiveness. The way I see it, forgiveness is a release that helps me. I simply release the people who have wronged me. I just drop it. No attachment, no fear. Just nothing. No feeling at all. No thought about the past wrongs any more.

Because who does it hurt if you are nursing a big grudge? Hating someone? Not them, for sure. They are going to continue to be dirtbag con artists whether we hate them or not, and in fact relish our hatred, and some even claim they like to drink 'librul tears.' Why waste even a nanosecond continuing useless grudges?

Plus, when Reagan killed the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, it took truth out of news and put yellow journalism back in. Soon, though, with the internet, we had algorithms that were taking people down rabbit holes and keeping them down those holes with conspiracy and 24/7 fearmongering. The algorithms have done something else, too - they are very sophisticated techniques that play systematically on our sense of empathy.

The other party perpetrated this latest outrage! We hate this! We want to FIGHT FOR YOU!!!! Pleeeeeeze give us money! That is the formula and it has given the publicly traded corporate media billions in profits over time.

Is any one person responsible? No. It is the Epstein Class of modern billionaire robber barons and their Wall Street cronies. Do I hate them? Why? They are doing their job. They became powerful because our shareholder primacy system of capitalism allows the worst, most depraved, most immoral sociopaths to climb to the top. It actually rewards them for cruelty, greed and unbridaled lust for power.

THIS IS AN EVIL SYSTEM.

So I don't. They don't get free rent in my head any more. I have put aside the constant outrage because I am beyond burned out with it. So I forgave them.

NOW, let's talk about forgetting.

NEVER. I will never forget what these Epstein Class people have done to this once-great republic.

NEVER. I will act vigorously in my state and metro area to build real community. I will act vigorously to support PROGRESSIVE candidates who understand that things cannot go on as they are, and that we literally need to clean house by tearing the whole thing down and rebuilding it from scratch. We must eliminate corruption, pull Wall Street's teeth, tax the billionaires out of existance, hold those who have committed crimes strictly accountable.

Many of you are quite well-educated, and understand that I am saying we have to have a real political revolution here - not just business as usual. We need massive reform.

The bottom line is that WE THE PEOPLE get to choose what we build out of the ashes of MAGA, and the current system we had before Trump is itself evil and corrupt. I mean, when is the last time federal legislation came out that actually helps working and middle class Americans at their kitchen table? We NEED healthcare. We NEED subsidized childcare. People who work providing childcare and in-home healthcare NEED to earn enough to live. Our children and grandchildren need relief from predatory student debt. We need to do something about affordable housing. We need sane energy and immigration policies, and we need to GET RID OF THE FUCKING FOR-PROFIT MEDIA and take the PROFIT motive OUT of the news.

Big work ahead. Will we be smart enough not to be propagandized to hate each other so these billionaire parasites can keep ripping us off with impunity? Will we be smart enough and have the moral strength to KEEP OUR REPUBLIC?

Maybe. It is completely our choice.

Hate is a waste of life force. Organization, unionization, demonstration, and civic engagement are NOT wastes of life force. But we simply cannot apply sufficient force if impelled forward by hatred. How about love instead? How about a simple moral compass - to treat others as we wish to be treated. Bring honesty and fair-dealing back. Bring compassion back.

So FORGIVE, but DO NOT FORGET. Instead be engaged, be progressive, be organized and stop falling for North Korean level propaganda designed to drive wedges and promote hate. All that does is take our eyes off the prize, which is to perfect the republic.

OK long post. Rant over.

[jmbar2]

99. We have our own MAGA-type problem brewing here with Platner.

[sarisataka]

108. Actions do speak louder than words...

[MiHale]

100. No freakin way...plus...

I used to be polite to them…not anymore.

[lame54]

101. The primaries tell a different story...

LOTS of loyal Trump voters still out there
Paxton is lower than a worm and they overwhelmingly chose him as their guy

[LilElf70]

102. Forgive? NEVER!!!!!

I have been on this planet for many decades. I have NEVER EVER experienced anything like I (we, this country) are going through right now. Specifically because all these idiots fell for the con man of the century. Sadly, many of these morons still think he's the chosen one, as they are getting screwed every day while the destruction of our democracy in occurring right in front of them/us. The corruption is off the chart, The ignorance and stupidity is off the chart. It's sickening.

Will I forgive them? HELL NO........ NEVER.

Shit, I still have neighbors and lost friends that still think the grifting fraudster and felon and ......... (the list goes on and on and on) is doing the right thing. The whole Trump thing and his corrupt admin and Congress are very bad for America. Don't let anyone tell you any different.

[DFW]

104. That is like asking me if I forgive Sirhan Bishara Sirhan or Mark David Chapman

At least the Trumpanzees have a chance to vote again—and I’m betting 90% of them would vote the same way TODAY if given the option. Those of us who had high hopes for the policies espoused by RFK Sr. and future music from John Lennon never had any hope to recover anything.

[QueerDuck]

105. No. Just as I will never forgive the "butter emails" crowd, or the "she's a warmonger" crowd...

... or the "Genocide Joe" crowd,
or the "Killer Kamala" crowd,
or the "vote Uncommitted" crowd,
or the "bowl of shit" crowd,
or the "leave it blank" crowd,
or the "burn it down" crowd,
or the "let's teach them a lesson" crowd,
or the "let's get revenge on the party" crowd,
or the "I don't vote with my vagina" crowd,
or the "both parties are the same" crowd,
or the "don't threaten me with the supreme court" crowd,
or the "there's no way Roe will be overturned" crowd,
or ANYONE who suppressed voter turnout in the general election,
or ANYONE who weaponized complex geopolitical issues to suppress voter turnout among natural allies,
or ANYONE who demanded absolute ideological purity,
or ANYONE who refused to vote for a viable candidate who achieved 90% of their goals,
or ANYONE who uses their vote of immense privilege masked as political principle.

[maxsolomon]

106. I know not a single one with regrets.

My 90-year old father isn't "MAGA", but he's voted for MFer 3x now. Does he even think about it? Unknown, doubtful.

His 89-year old lady friend isn't "MAGA", but she's a longtime Repuke motivated 90% by Abortion. Regrets? Unknown, doubtful.

My MAGA relatives vote Repuke mainly for Abortion, and MFer gave them what precisely what they've been praying for decades to get. No regrets. They think he's peachy and love the Stigginit. They revel in the cruelty and our unhappiness.

No forgiveness. Never. They know what they did.

[sarisataka]

107. Despite all of the strong denials

we are seeing that not only can a person be forgiven, but they can also be embraced and lauded for having changed- based on their word.

[3825-87867]

109. Willful ignorance is not forgivable.

Choosing to believe something without proof is why there are so many religious wars and hatred among those who believe only what they wish.

[oasis]

127. 100% that!!!

[RockRaven]

110. Nope. Because I will not believe any of them are actually appropriately sorry.

It was repeatedly, REPEATEDLY explained to them in every possible way and by every possible method, AND they lived through it once, and then they did it again.

There is no believable "oh, I made a mistake, and I understand that now" for situations like that. It just doesn't fit with all of the other evidence/behavior. This wasn't "a mistake" and it wasn't accidental or incidental brief behavior. It was a persistent way of being, year on year, for a decade in many cases.

Regrets are not remorse. They have regrets, certainly. Claims of remorse, genuine fucking remorse (such as characterized by empathetic recognition of having caused harm to others and emotional distress at having failed moral standards), are not plausible. So fuck them, no forgiving and no forgetting.

[mgardener]

111. No, I don't

They voted for Trump, not once, but twice.
They voted for him AFTER JAN 6th
AFTER HE WAS CONVICTED OF FELONIES.
AFTER Jean Caroll's trial

Knowing about Epstein.

I will never forgive them.
I hope they get exactly what they voted for.f

[alwaysinasnit]

112. To me, there is a difference between regret and remorse. Of those people who regret their

votes, I have yet to hear them acknowledge their role in enabling the harm tsf is causing. Not a single one of them
has (in public) accepted responsibility for their actions, and more importantly, or worked to rectify/remedy the harm
they have helped cause.

[CharleyDog]

114. NO

NO. I've considered this over many long hours, as it involves my family. NO. I will never forgive them the ICE cruelty, and the Supreme Court disaster that electing this man has caused. All the evidence was there in 2015. So, they knew, and did it anyway. Twice. NO.
The damage done is immense. (and more is coming, what Trump wants, what he really wants, is Civil War.)

[CrispyQ]

115. Bodily autonomy, & the abortion issue, I was already having difficulty socializing with republicans.

But this? This is beyond repair. There are a few who out of sentimentality, I could be polite to if I encountered them at a funeral or wedding, but sit across from them & catch up? Nope.

[biophile]

117. They will have to deserve it, and then ask for forgiveness

And by deserve it I mean change their behavior dramatically and demonstratively for at least several election cycles.

[snot]

118. If we can't unite against the tyrants, oligarchs, policies, etc. that harm us,

we're f---ing doomed.

If we really care about our needs and goals, we need to give up the gratifications of rage and figure out how to embrace those who've come closer to agreement with us.

Collaboration whenever and wherever possible is essential.

[Martin Eden]

159. Exactly

Araham Lincoln spoke the truth:
A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Our efforts must be foused on strengthening the foundation and building a house for all the people. A house that will endure.

Welcome all who might lend a hand. There is nothing to be gained by alienating people. Always stick to higher higher principles and the "better angels" of our nature. Be civil. Be kind.

[ShepKat]

119. no

I trust them as far as I can throw them. 0%

i do not forgive malicious cruelty and intentional wickedness.

[ThoughtCriminal]

120. Do not underestimate how much THEY HATE US

All I'm hearing from those with remorse is "How much worse it would be if Harris was President."

Forget them and concentrate on bringing in the non-voters.

[pattyloutwo]

121. Many still support him

How? Why? There is no logic; they seem to have some level of education, like at least high school. I’m dumbfounded, truly.

[hurl]

122. Sadly, two of my three my kids voted for Trump

I grew up indoctrinated into a cult, and I wasn't stupid. Yet it took years for me to break free. Indoctrination is powerful, especially if you limit input from alternative viewpoints, which is doctrine #1 in any cult. It took me years to break from that programming, so I have to give my kids some grace. The only way I can get through is to believe that they will eventually overcome, as I did. But I'm also aware that they may not. To answer the question more directly, I may not forgive them, but they are family that I specifically chose, and I can't give up on them either. I have to face the jarring fact that I must own part of their failure as a parent in their formative years. I feel as if their mom and I instilled good values, but apparently they couldn't withstand the toxic rightward pull from other influences.

[Attilatheblond]

123. No! There are obligations for the privilege of living in a democracy

A major obligation is to make honest efforts to be well informed and use one's vote wisely and for the best interests of our nation and its people. MAGA voters fell short on those obligations and many, if not most, of them did it out of malice for their fellow Americans or willful ignorance.

No, no forgiveness, no quarter until they admit their errors and make amends by being better informed and learning to think critically instead of just jerking their knees.

[mvd]

124. No, massive damage has already been done

Going to take a long time to fix this mess. The stupidly of a Trump vote is astounding.

[Mad_Machine76]

125. I'm not sure

What happens in the next two years will determine whether or not I can ever forgive MAGA because Trump can and probably will get even worse and do more damage to the country before it can be stopped/reversed. On second thought, probably not. I hope many of them wind up feeling like Nazis post-WW2.

[Johonny]

128. Fool you once, shame on you

Fool you twice, fuck off and move Russia you fucking American bastards the lot of them...

[vanlassie]

129. Forgive? It's really not appropriate, for me, anyway.

Let go of the resentment so it doesn’t poison me while waiting for THEM to die? Yes. But what I know now is that they are not people I can be friends with. They are not my “kind.” They showed me their craven mean-spiritedness. They lack empathy. People like that scare me, frankly. Even if they are my family or previous friends. What I will do is beware of their maladjustments, and keep it superficial.

[marble falls]

130. Nope. They may be disappointed, but they are still MAGA/Tea Party/3%/Militia/Bugaloo/Proud Boys and ...

... and Nazi/Klu Klux Klan and haven't had any change at all all.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

131. NOPE.

They willingly voted for a moron because he hated the things they do, proving they’re morons, too. Fuck ‘em.

[oldmanlynn]

132. It's like a complete identity thing for them and so I don't know if it'll change

Many of them believe maga is their identity. They do a number of things to rationalize their disconnect and lack of factual information.

[dweller]

133. yeh , NO

and I won’t be thankfully around any to hear them beg

sorry not sorry


✌🏻

[Dave Bowman]

134. Nope. The racist morons knew what they were voting for.

[czarjak]

135. F-'EM!

And their feelings!

[Blue Owl]

136. HELL TO THE NO!

Those fuckers wrecked and I mean FUCKING WRECKED this country

[Beringia]

137. Sure, I can forgive Fred and Barney

[VTderry]

138. No forgiveness unless they actively work to try to undo the

damage. Whining about their own losses, hardship, misery, and regret doesn't cut it.

SHOW me, don't tell me, that you are sorry.

But, in truth, anyone who was super enthusiastic about Trump at any point isn't someone I want in my life, now or in future. Someone who held a good opinion of Trump will only ever enjoy my bad opinion of them.

[red dog 1]

139. "They have deep regret and they want off the ship"?

"Many MAGA voters have deserted Trump because of the economy."?
"They sense the great damage they have helped to ignite. And they want out."?

I don't think so.

"Among MAGA supporters, approval of Donald Trump's handling of the presidency stood at 94% on May 4, 2026."
Source: Statista.com May 12, 2026
(According to Media Bias/Fact Check, "Statista reporting is factual and usually sourced," and they rate the website as "High" for factual reporting)

[Mike Niendorff]

140. They're not asking, and I'm not offering.

If they want to devote themselves to fixing the damage they have done, they should do so.

That would be the task at hand.

But as for me forgiving them and welcoming them back as lost sheep?

No way in hell.

They let the wolf in once. They're never, ever EVER going to get another chance on my watch.


MDN

[sakabatou]

141. No.

[Skittles]

142. NO

they absolutely DISGRACED my beloved country

they can fuck themselves FOREVER

[DFW]

144. It depends on the reason for their remorse

If their regret is solely for material reasons, no, I forgive nothing. With people like that, the second the price of gas, eggs, or hamburger comes back down, they would instantly vote for Trump again, because abortion, because Muslims, because woke, because libbruls, etc.

If their regret is because they have truly realized the damage they have done to the country, and they are determined never to let it happen again, and never vote that way again, I MIGHT forgive them, but only after hearing how they voted in the next two elections, and why. I´d be surprised if that were even 5% of the MAGA voters.

[Skittles]

145. it's not just America they damaged

so many people are dead worldwide because of these stupid assholes - UGH

[DFW]

146. There is that as well, but they cannot vote in our elections

We can, and Magats can. They can try to repay their karma debt, or they can try to make things worse because Fox Noise said to do so. My impression is that 95% of them or more would do just that.

[callous taoboy]

147. Perhaps when my MAGA family members are on their death beds.

But, Kentuck, I will spare you and the rest of those reading my response to your post the devastating consequences of my parents', and especially my brother’s turn toward MAGA and how the actions of the MAGA politicians they have supported have destroyed my livelihood. Right now, my relations with my MAGA family members are extremely frayed, and I am completely estranged from the brother I mentioned.

[Polybius]

149. Depends on when they redeemed themselves

I have a friend who voted for Trump in 2016. Now, all he does is post anti-Trump stories on his Instagram. How could I not forgive him, when all he does now is regret it?

[Martin Eden]

150. Forgive those who know not what they do

Last edited Tue Jun 2, 2026, 07:28 AM - Edit history (1)

That does not include all MAGA voters. Some are irredeemably deplorable.

Please consider:

Trump is a con man. A huge swath of corporate media and the internet is a propaganda machine expertly devised over decades to deceive and manipulate. Much of that is reinforced by a culture that pervades conservative religious belief which indoctrinates children from a very young age. Public education is an insufficient bulwark against this, and can be influenced by rightwing activists like "Moms for Liberty." The Republican voting base has been psychologically conditoned to believe they are on the side of virtue and patriotism.

They do not know they are empowering fascists who are twisting Christianity into something Jesus would abhor, in order to increase their own wealth and power while also subverting and ultimately destroying the Constitutional democracy America's Founders created.

This does not absolve adults from the decisions they make, but it explains why otherwise good people are conned into voting against their own interests -- and into hurting vulnerable groups who've done them no harm.

The hardest thing for almost anyone to do is admit they've been played for a fool and their belief system is terribly wrong -- especially when a deep part of the con is rooted in a religious upbringing that fosters ignorance and fear.

If a person can overcome all that and admit they were wrong, I can forgive them.

Forgiveness is a personal matter, but writ large it may be a political necessity if the American people as a whole are to overcome the powerful forces destroying our democracy.

The core strategy of those powerful forces is divide and conquer. Divide the American people against themselves. Use their vast wealth and media control to misinform and trigger emotional reactions to direct cultivated grievances at fellow Americans who are essentially in the same boat, instead of at the fascist oligarchs laughing at us in their luxury yachts.

Remember what Abraham Lincoln said:
A house divided against itself cannot stand.

The anger we all feel is entirely justifiable. Our nation is in an existential crisis. To save it, we need to channel those emotions into a rational strategy to defeat the fascist oligarchs who are dividing the American people against themselves.

If we can't bring ourselves to forgive our fellow Americans, we must at least not feed into the cycle of hate. Be kind. Love, like hate, compounds.

Which of the two wolves within each of us ultimately wins?

The one we feed.

[Trueblue1968]

151. No no a thousand times no. Never forgive, never forgetj

[mahina]

152. Absolutely.

Thatʻs the only good outcome unless we want to keep losing, that we love through it and become a country again. Help them get hip to being used and divided.

[PCB66]

154. I live in a mixed Florida neighborhood

It is probably 55% MAGA and 45% Democrat.

We all get along. We have block parties and help each other out, like when there is a hurricane.

For the most part we don't let politics get in the way of things.

During election time the yard signs will go up for a few days but that is about it.

When my wife was in the hospital for an extended time last year my neighbors were very supportive, regardless of party.

I also have a few MAGA family members. We decided a long tine ago that family love is more important than politics and we get along.

[tulipsandroses]

155. No- Real harm was done

People have died- lives ruined- hundreds of thousands of black women lost their federal jobs

[Efilroft Sul]

157. Never. All 87 million+ voters need to "take one for the team."

[waterwatcher123]

160. Anyone remotely rationale would have concluded long ago that Donald Trump is unfit for the job of president.

"Stupid people, Carlo M. Cipolla explained, share several identifying traits: they are abundant, they are irrational, and they cause problems for others without apparent benefit to themselves, thereby lowering society’s total well-being. There are no defenses against stupidity, argued the Italian-born professor, who died in 2000. The only way a society can avoid being crushed by the burden of its idiots is if the non-stupid work even harder to offset the losses of their stupid brethren."

https://qz.com/967554/the-five-universal-laws-of-human-stupidity

[Girard442]

161. Thinking about sending my Talibangelical Maga relatives an image of my Satanic Temple card.

You want forgiveness? You first.

[redstatebluegirl]

162. Not a snowballs chance in h...

[Trueblue Texan]

163. I never bought into the whole "Christian" forgiveness thing...

To me, it was just a convenient tradition that priests used to avoid accountability for their OWN sins. The whole logic of “the anger you feel only punishes you, not the perpetrators of harm” is bullshit to my ears. Anger is far more empowering than fear or “forgiveness.” It’s not that I’m incapable of forgiving, I am. But I don’t believe it offers the benefits of peace so many are convinced it does. No… I’ll keep my power and my anger when I think it serves me better.

So I guess, to answer your question as to being able to forgive MAGA. As a whole? No. I do not forgive MAGA anymore than I forgive Hitler or any other mass murderer. For to be sure, MAGA is responsible for great suffering and mass murder in this world. But on an individual basis, I may be able to forgive—it depends on the reasons they were roped in, the newly acquired self-awareness (if any) the experience resulted in, and the authenticity of their contrition. I have no sympathy for those who are merely sorry because it has not worked out well for them personally. Nor do I have any sympathy for those who became MAGA because it satisfied their racist passions. Nope. No forgiveness for those folks. They should pay forever for the hate their hearts facilitated and promoted.

[happy feet]

164. NO!

They didn’t care about the country. Only themselves and their irrational bigoted feelings. EOM

[Deep State Witch]

165. Nope

I'm not a Christian. I don't have to forgive anybody.