Members of rightwing base disorientated by cordial Oval Office meeting – but not all Trump supporters downcast
A flurry of social media posts from MAGA influencers have laid bare the disorientation felt by members of Trump’s base at the spectacle of Friday’s cordial Oval Office meeting with Mamdani, who the president previously painted as a “communist lunatic”.
“Wild to allow a jihadist communist to stand behind the president’s desk in the Oval Office. Sad to see,” wrote far-right activist Laura Loomer, one of Trump’s most fervent online backers.
She returned to the theme several times. “I had to drink a bottle of ginger ale today after seeing Mamdani in the Oval Office because it physically nauseates me seeing Islamic jihadists infiltrate our government and continue to get a pass to promote Islamic jihad and anti-American values with zero push back,” Loomer wrote.
It’s been clear for some time that Trump must be very easy to manipulate if you know how to approach him. But most people end up debasing and humiliating themselves to win Trump over.
The way Mamdani won over Trump, who previously hated him and saw him as a massive threat, while keeping his dignity and even getting permission to call Trump a fascist, you can’t deny that’s spectacular. Even if you know it should be theoretically possible, it’s amazing to see someone actually do it. Especially someone as leftwing as Mamdani.
But that means he knows how to package his message, how to appeal to people and how to win them over. It would be amazing if Mamdani could also win over the many working class Trump voters in the US.