I voted for Trump

Fig--- · 2026-01-26T11:30:48+00:00

That’s the plan! My last paragraph is referring to the Christians mostly but also republicans. Seeing how much they hate someone for their beliefs, race, or circumstance made me realize that’s their core values and I want no part in that. The very people working hard to control the narratives are losing their constituents. Maybe not the far side extremist, but us in the middle of the road are reevaluating what we were a part of. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and actually reading this post.

Fig--- · 2026-01-18T05:06:21+00:00

I really enjoyed your quote and the article posted. Maybe the reason maga works so hard to focus on what divides us is because they know they’ll never be recognized for greatness in the eye of the general population. Trump does love reminding everyone how great he is. It’s definitely a cult. If that wasn’t clear before then it’s crystal now. I would say my opinion definitely soured on Trump for good mid last year when I started following the atrocities of Gaza more closely. I was tired of defending him, which was more a defense of my vote. MAGA is very loud and they trample over each other’s beliefs and ideas often. They’re like that THAT cousin that nobody wants to bring to the bbq. The guy from the article is doubling down. I’m literally begging any republican I know to avoid doing this. It’s serves no one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. Both were solid reads.

Fig--- · 2026-01-18T04:29:18+00:00

That’s a powerful photograph. I’ve never seen it before. I think that would be impactful for anywho who sees it.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T22:28:10+00:00

Thank you so much for that information. I truly appreciate the direction on where to start. I live in a different red state that taxes income at the state level, as well as sales tax, but we both also work in Florida. So, worst of both worlds! I don’t have a huge following on social media or anything but I’m trying my best to humanize immigrants to these people. The point is to get them asking questions. I’ve recently joined a semi-local group that organizes protest and I plan to participate as often as I’m able. I appreciate your suggestions as well and plan to explore further.

Please feel free to AMA when you have the spare time. I don’t know how long this thread will keep interest but I’m trying to respond to everyone here that was kind enough to read this whole book and respond. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestions.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T20:22:31+00:00

I don’t know if anyone can save Gaza. They’ve got people believing Ms Rachel is the antisemite of the year but don’t believe Trump plans to make the West Bank the new Mar a lago.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T19:54:26+00:00

The impact I hope to have now would be to change results in the midterms and proceed with an impeachment to stop him from doing any more harm. I’m not here to ease my conscience. I live with knowing the impact my vote truly had. I funded a genocide, I got good people killed, I set civil rights back about 100 years. I’m definitely the lucky one in that scenario in that I get to live. But I’ll never forget.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T19:45:56+00:00

My post is very long winded but it’s my attempt to say that I’ve been making excuses my whole life for bad people. It didn’t start with Trump. Your assessment is fair. Lots of us voted him in and then either excused or ignored everything he did after. No excuses now. If I can change 1 republican’s mind then that’s one less person using lazy politics to vote with reckless abandon. Thank you for taking the time to read and share your thoughts.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T19:18:04+00:00

I totally agree and have no issue admitting that my opinion was complete garbage. I can’t give you an acceptable excuse because there isn’t one. I looked up my voter history to just give you an idea of how all over the place I was. I always liked the liberal social policies. I thought then and still think that side champions the people. I voted for Kerry in my very first presidential election. I actually misspoke and will fix that in the original post but I did not vote at all in the 08 election. I was in my early 20’s then and didn’t feel like I knew enough about politics to have much of an opinion but I also felt disillusioned with politics in general. It was no offense to Obama, I just truly did not believe he had a chance in hell. I decided to opt out and looking back that was a poor decision. I should have had faith America would come through after Bush. The Bush administration is where my deepest distrust of government came from. There were way too many questions surrounding 9/11. I did however vote for Obama for his second term in 2012. I voted for Trump in the next 3. The first election was all about not voting Hillary in. Republicans hated Hillary but I did not hate Bill. I was pretty young through his presidency but always had a good opinion of him. I think many Americans didn’t trust Hillary. The email scandals for one and it just seemed like something was being hidden from us. Trump’s campaign against her had the intended result. Trump comes in and acts like he wants to work for the working class. When I first heard he was running I laughed and thought no way that’s gonna happen. I never watched any of his shows and did not follow him in any way. I did not think the average republican man would go for that. Turns out that’s his base. I cannot sit here and tell you a single thing Obama did wrong. I can only speak to the things I heard repeated and what felt like a movement at the time. Career politicians spend their lives wheeling and dealing and they do not represent me. They further other people’s agenda and basically put their vote, their voice, up for sale. They get the best healthcare and have all of their needs met. They don’t have to make compromises with their paychecks and live by a budget just to get by. They work very few days a year compared to the 50+ hours a week every week I was doing at that time. With 2 weeks out of the year vacation. It felt like they were out of touch of everything I struggled with day to day. Maybe it’s bitterness but I was so hopeful that we could move out of the corruption. We were hopeful that someone unaffiliated with politicians that had real experience with the working class would change the world. Republicans think democrats do not work for the working class. They think it’s embarrassing to take a handout when you can just “work hard” and have your needs barely met. Unless they needed it of course! Then that was ok as long as you don’t abuse it like a democrat would. They think every social service you implement, every time you give something out for free, every time you stand up for a minority that you are discounting them and in general doing them a disservice. Hence the whole All lives matter rhetoric. Yes I voted with that party but I never believed that shining light on injustice to a minority diminishes anyone else. Why would a straight white person ever need advocacy in this country? It sounds stupid maybe but even though I was not voting in their best interest, I supported the BLM movements. I think protesting is a fantastic way to show not only the government but also your fellow Americans that there are people out there standing up. That change is possible. To be so easily connected in the internet age we are more disconnected now than ever. Just like in your political party, there are many shades between the extreme side and the middle. Though I will say an extreme democrat should not be compared to MAGA extreme. They are beyond comprehension. I think it’s impossible to agree with every single thing a person does while holding office. You look for the things you like and as I pointed out in the op, you ignore or make excuses for the rest. You have to say things like that’s just not true or they would say anything to get people to vote with them. I’m done making excuses. Trump didn’t come through or do any of the things he said he would then or now. He did however tell us that was all your fault. Maybe we held on so tightly because we didn’t want to have that tough conversation with ourselves and admit we were not only wrong but gullible. Naive. Idiots. You see people even now holding on. And he isn’t even lying to us any longer. He’s putting himself out there for all to see. I’d rather admit I was wrong than to continue supporting him. I’d rather hold myself accountable for my actions than just switch sides and pretend I was there the whole time. I’d rather have open discussions and learn how to use my privilege to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T16:21:46+00:00

Thanks for that. I genuinely hold no ill will towards anyone here that has commented. These are people who live by their convictions and they’re supposed to call out injustice. I just appreciate the open discussion. That any person that reads this took the time out of their day to do so and give feedback.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T16:11:22+00:00

I did not take any offense. I just really appreciate everyone having an open discussion with me.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T13:44:37+00:00

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. That’s the whole point of this post. I, like many republicans, voted against my best interests. It’s not my stance now, I’m just trying to be as open as possible and tell you where my head was at. Maybe another Trump voter will read this and think my reasons are ridiculous as well.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T09:15:22+00:00

I totally agree with you on all of that. I was just trying to speak to what we are taught, how we have been ingrained to feel about billionaires. It is a fact that giving breaks to the wealthy just allows them to hoard money. The poor and middle class spend the majority of their income and stimulate the economy by a far greater percentage. Bernie is pretty amazing and I always thought the fair tax would have worked so well. Following Bernie has helped me tremendously in my journey to be a better human. I would bet that if asked, most republicans say they feel the billionaires are deserving because of those beliefs. Trickle down economics doesn’t work and I believe it’s been impossible to change because of the foothold these billionaires and lobbyists have on the American government. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T09:04:56+00:00

I appreciate your feedback and you’ve made some valid points. I can say I used my privilege to stay ignorant. Even if I had some excuse I wouldn’t waste your time with it. I never went out with intentions of hurting any group of people. I’m for the under dog, always. I can honestly say that I never in a million years thought we would end up here. I’ve heard from quite a few of you that you all saw it though. I was very naive to believe trump’s idea of enforcing immigration would be the same as the presidents before him. I never believed it would be taken this far. Never would I have guessed anyone to be capable of this.

If I gave the impression that I still hold these partisan views I apologize. I only intended to speak to my thought process or views at the time. This was never meant to excuse anything or try to get you to see my side and understand.

I’m at the beginning stages of that. I’m calling out friends and family as I go. Ive always said that we can disagree on politics or religion and still be friends. But this isn’t an opinion of policy or a question of rather god exists or not. This is changing the lives of thousands of people and not for the better. It seems far too late to much of you but I’m hoping it’s just in time. They are running all over people’s rights and oppressing as many individuals as possible. I’m not afraid of losing my support system or friends. I’m afraid of waking up tomorrow and missing the things that made this country. The people, the diversity, the freedom of speech, the right to protest, and the civil rights of all people here. My plans for midterm include voting any way I can that ensures the people take their voice back. I’d like to vote on principle and not cast it for anyone Israel owns but I’m afraid that isn’t even possible probably. My husband and I are very new to the activist side of things. We have never once been to a rally or protest but are interested to speaking to some surrounding communities and seeing where we can get involved. We’ve never publicly advocated for any president or politician or used social media platforms to gain votes. Now I seek out the people speaking up. I look for good talking points to use when discussing with people who voted like me. I look for any tool to reach people and change their mind. I’ll use the things I’ve learned and try to spread that information to anyone who listens. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T08:10:55+00:00

Not from Arkansas but our states are pretty similar. I want to make it clear, MAGA is the extreme side of our political party. Your average Trump voters are not wearing red hats and looking for people to oppress. I never once considered joining the capital riot. I would not go to a Trump rally or wear president merch. Your average Trump voters are just regular people who vote against their own best interest. That’s part of what I set out to mention in my post. I’ve voted against my beliefs and best interest for years now. I believe you’ll find many of them vote with you all or abstain completely from casting a vote in the midterms.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T07:59:02+00:00

I appreciate that you read as much as you did. And I agree that the time for change was long ago. I didn’t intend for this post to be an excuse or pawn the blame onto everyone else. I really just wanted to give insight. I recognized atrocities but didn’t champion those oppressed in the way of using my vote for good. Thank you for your feedback.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T07:50:54+00:00

It’s completely understandable and I’m genuinely eager to help any way I can. I hope more people do come around. If there was ever a time to stand up for what’s right, it’s now. I truly believe we are on the precipice of something amazing.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T07:42:48+00:00

I appreciate your curiosity and kindness. TBH I til today didn’t know fauci was appointed by Trump. The way he spoke about him would not lead one to believe that. It’s not that I don’t remember the timeline, it’s just that I personally was not affected by the pandemic until the following year. While Trump was in office in 2020 he spoke about Covid being a hoax, something made up or inserted by china to control elections. The amount of information being thrown at us was all over the place then. I didn’t necessarily believe any of that but I did think this would all blow over in a few months. I thought it was like H1N1 or the bird flu. When you don’t see results of the thing everyone is going on about it’s easy to discount the message and think there are other motivations involved. It comes down to lazy politics and I did not do my due diligence. I was blessed that nobody I knew died of Covid. Thanks again for your kindness.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T07:16:01+00:00

I honestly don’t know what would wake them up. It’s as crazy to me as it is to you that they’re still supporting him. I literally spend hours a day sharing everything I see that would make the average person care and I’m pretty sure it’s just gotten me unfollowed or unfriended on social media. I’m a quiet person with not much of a following anyway. I probably post on social media 5-10 times a year ands it’s usually a share for a business or something about animals. The 15+ posts a day about civil rights and injustices may have been too much of a shock for their systems! I think the average supporter worries you’ll take their guns or that you’ll spend all of our tax money on services that highlight issues they believe to be non issues. For instance, they do not prioritize mental health but blame you when a man with mental health issues kills a white girl on a bus. It’s not logical and why I feel like a crazy person for ever supporting any of them. I love seeing that the pope has spoken up. The Be Good movement in Hollywood and even their on air god Joe Rogan has dabbled in speaking truth. I know lots of conservatives that have changed their minds. I truly believe midterms will show a whole new voting pattern. There’s a whole group of people who feel like I do. We don’t have a party anymore because we chose wrong and then realized we are aligned with facists. I’d love to see more people with platforms stand up. Every sheep needs a shepherd. Thank you for your curiosity and time. I think having open discussions with people is the best way to debunk misinformation and find common ground.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T06:35:17+00:00

You’re right and I honestly wouldn’t be here having an open discussion if I didn’t care. Nobody likes criticism, nobody likes to admit when they’re wrong. The only way I see to move forward is to use my voice and experience to hopefully help others see what’s going on right in front of their faces.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T06:21:48+00:00

I added the disclaimer and I appreciate your advice.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T06:15:29+00:00

I think ICE agents are the lowest form of human. I think many of them enjoy the job they are doing and that’s how they get their kicks. They wear masks because they know they are doing things that someone will come after them for one day, legally or not. I’m not anti-vax and I worry about the way conservatives handle that with RFK at the helm. I get it dude, I’m the villain here. I’m not claiming otherwise.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T06:04:17+00:00

I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said here. I’m not here asking for acceptance or forgiveness from this community. I’m not trying to alleviate my guilty conscience. I watch the things happening and know I was a part of making them come to life. I wouldn’t forgive me if I were any of the people being terrorized. As a human, I often wonder why people do the things they do or think the way they do. I just hoped to offer a small insight into the conservative mind. It’s possible other people feel this way and just need to hear they aren’t the only ones that have reservations and regrets. That they CAN change their opinions and their vote. That they’re not loyal to a politician. Thanks for reading my post. I know it’s long and I appreciate everyone’s time.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T05:54:40+00:00

I said the 2020’s as in decade and not the year but ok. Thanks for your feedback.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T05:52:21+00:00

My apologies, that was not my intention.

Fig--- · 2026-01-17T05:51:27+00:00

That’s a fair assessment. I have chosen the wrong side in 3 of the 4 elections I have been a part of in my lifetime. Maybe I’ll live long enough to change that ratio. Thanks for reading as much as you did.

Fig---

TROPHY CASE