President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is entering a turbulent new chapter as public infighting collides with a quiet, long-term effort to lock in power well beyond his presidency.
Less than a year into his second term, Trump’s approval rating has slipped to 36%, with 60% disapproval, according to Gallup.
The numbers mark a second-term low and have rattled allies who once believed the 2024 coalition would reshape American politics permanently.
Pollsters point to April, when Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, as the turning point. Support began sliding almost immediately as voters felt rising prices at the grocery store and gas pump.
Young voters, once energized by Trump’s outsider persona, have grown restless. One study of politically independent young men showed support plunging from 50% earlier this year to 31% by the fall. Pollsters say affordability, not culture wars, is driving the shift.
Minority support has also eroded. Approval among Black voters reportedly fell from 24% to 13%, while Hispanic support dropped from 40% to 34%.
Pew data shows 70% of Hispanic voters now disapprove of Trump’s performance, raising long-term concerns for Republican dominance in states like Texas.
Internal fractures are no longer confined to polling data. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) accused Trump of abandoning his America First base, prompting the president to brand her a “traitor,” a stunning rupture that sent shockwaves through MAGA circles.
Conservative influencers have grown increasingly vocal, questioning trade policy and warning that tariffs are hurting working families. Even loyal media figures have begun raising uncomfortable questions about direction and discipline.
Yet while the public face of MAGA looks fractured, a deeper infrastructure is forming behind the scenes, per the Daily Mail.
The America First Policy Institute has expanded rapidly, relocating near the White House and positioning itself as a permanent policy engine for the movement. A senior executive described the mission as thinking “100 years down the road,” not just the next election.
Vice President J.D. Vance is widely viewed as the natural successor, with multiple organizations already aligning behind him. Skeptics question whether anyone can replicate Trump’s charisma, but strategists argue institutional power matters more than personality.
The Rockbridge Network, co-founded by Vance and backed by figures like Peter Thiel and Tucker Carlson, has emerged as a central force. Membership reportedly ranges from $100,000 to $1 million and aims to replace the traditional Republican ecosystem entirely.
Its super PAC spent $34.5 million in the 2024 election and oversees groups focused on media, polling, voter turnout, and church-based activism.
MAGA insiders argue Trump has permanently changed how Americans view trade, power, and global relationships. Critics counter that affordability will determine whether the movement survives.
With midterms approaching and internal tensions rising, MAGA now faces its defining test. Either Trump stabilizes the coalition he built, or the cracks now visible become the beginning of something far bigger.
