For years, progressive leaders and voices warned America about Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. They said Trump would hurt democracy, divide the country, and damage the planet. At the time, many people thought these warnings were too extreme. But now, after years of Trump’s leadership and the rise of MAGA, it is clear that the progressives were right.

During Trump’s presidency, we saw how dangerous his leadership could be. He told over 30,000 lies while in office (Kessler et al., 2021). Some were small, but others had serious consequences. One of the biggest lies was that the 2020 election was stolen. That false claim led to the January 6 attack on the Capitol, where five people died and many more were injured (U.S. House Select Committee, 2022). Progressives warned this could happen if people stopped trusting elections—and they were right.

Trump also hurt how the rest of the world sees the United States. He pulled the country out of the Paris Climate Agreement (BBC News, 2020), leaving the world without U.S. leadership on climate change. Progressives warned that Trump didn’t care about the environment—and they were right again. Under Trump, pollution rules were rolled back, national parks were put at risk, and clean energy investments slowed down (Environmental Defense Fund, 2020).

MAGA, which stands for “Make America Great Again,” became more than a slogan. It became a movement filled with anger, fear, and lies. MAGA supporters pushed conspiracy theories on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Bluesky. They believed false stories about vaccines, voter fraud, and even schoolbooks. Many of these stories were shared on Google searches, YouTube videos, and social media posts. Progressives kept warning that misinformation would tear the country apart—and sadly, it has.

The MAGA movement also made racism and hate more public. Trump said there were “very fine people” on both sides after white supremacists marched in Charlottesville in 2017 (New York Times, 2017). Progressives warned that Trump gave permission for hate to grow—and they were right. Attacks against Black, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, and LGBTQ+ Americans rose during his time in office (FBI, 2021).

Progressives also warned that Trump’s Supreme Court picks would turn back the clock on civil rights. Today, we are seeing those effects. The Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, taking away a woman’s right to choose in many states (NPR, 2022). This ruling hurt poor women the most, especially in rural and Southern states. Progressives warned this would happen, and they were dismissed as “alarmists.” But now millions of women are losing basic freedoms.

The economy also took hits under Trump’s leadership. He passed a giant tax cut that mostly helped the rich (Tax Policy Center, 2018). Meanwhile, working-class families saw little change in their paychecks. Progressives said the tax cuts would increase the national debt—and they were right. The debt grew by nearly $8 trillion during Trump’s four years (U.S. Treasury, 2021).

Today, we see MAGA politicians running for school boards, state houses, and Congress. They often don’t believe in science or truth. Some want to ban books. Others want to change history lessons. Progressives are still warning about these threats, but many Americans are not listening—again.

Even some conservatives are starting to agree with the progressives. Former Republican leaders like Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Mitt Romney have spoken out against Trump and MAGA. They have said what progressives said from the beginning: Trump is not fit to lead a democracy.

In the end, progressives didn’t just complain about Trump—they fought to protect democracy, science, the environment, and truth. They called out lies when others stayed quiet. They stood up for voting rights, fair courts, clean air, and equal treatment. Now, more people are finally seeing that the warnings were not crazy—they were correct.

America needs to remember who spoke up when it mattered. Progressives warned us. We should have listened.

References