PolitiFact | What is a MAGA Republican?
The dispute over what it means to be a MAGA Republican has given the GOP an opening to accuse President Joe Biden of "smearing" half the voters in the country the roughly 47% of those who voted in 2020 for former President Donald Trump.
MAGA Trumps trademark Make America Great Again 2016 campaign slogan is subject to interpretation. Biden offered his take in a Sept. 1 speech in Philadelphia.
"There is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country," Biden said. "MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people."
Bidens insistence during the address that "not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans," has hardly mollified his critics. Fox News commentator Kayleigh McEnany, a former Trump administration press secretary, echoed a common GOP theme, tweeting that Biden had delivered the "most divisive presidential speech" shed ever seen.
In a recent interview on CBS News "60 Minutes," Biden went further, citing two telltale markers that he believes distinguish MAGA Republicans.
"MAGA Republicans are the people who refuse to acknowledge that an election took place and there was a winner," Biden said Sept. 18. "The MAGA Republicans are those people who, in fact, say that the use of violence is a legitimate tool, like what happened to the Capitol."
We examined data to see where Republicans stand on election denialism and sympathy for the people who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. It shows that Republican voters are divided on those points, but the differences among them are rarely crisp and clean.
As political scientist Christopher Cooper at Western Carolina University put it, "People dont put on the MAGA label like a pair of pants its an identity that some people have more of and some people have less of."
A focus on Trump
MAGA is the Trump brand, from campaign slogan, to red hats emblazoned with the letters, to the closing line of his stump speeches.
"A MAGA Republican is first and foremost a Trump supporter, no matter what he seems to do or say," said American University political scientist James Thurber.
A survey of self-identified MAGA voters conducted just after the Capitol assault found they strongly believe the election was stolen and that the riot was the work of antifa, a loose collection of activists who rally against fascism and far-right groups.
Since January 2021, pollsters have been asking Republican voters which they identify more with Trump, or the Republican Party. In a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, support for Trump has been waning.
In January 2021, an equal number of Republican voters, 46%, said they supported Trump and the Republican Party. By September 2022, Trump supporters had dropped to 33%, and party supporters had risen to 58%.
A recent Politico/Morning Consult tracking poll asked Republicans to pick their preferred 2024 presidential candidate. Trump came in first with 52%, but that also meant about half of Republicans wanted another candidate. In a July New York Times survey, about a fifth of Republicans said Trumps actions on Jan. 6 "went so far that he threatened American democracy."
Others are eager to define what it means to be a MAGA follower, but Republican voters appear to apply the label to themselves flexibly.
Cooper at Western Carolina University was part of a study of Southern state Republicans people in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The studys poll gave self-identified Republicans the option to choose among the labels Traditional Republican, America First Republican and MAGA.
Respondents were asked to rate how well the labels fit them on a scale of 1= "not at all" to 10= "completely describes me." Nearly three-quarters of respondents picked a 6 or higher for more than one label.
"There are not bright lines between the three categories," said Western Carolina Universitys Cooper. "But there is something distinct about MAGA Republican identifiers. They are less likely to believe that Donald Trump should be prosecuted for January 6, less likely to believe that our elections are free and fair, more likely to approve of Donald Trump."
Trumps influence was evident in the primaries.
An analysis from senior fellow Elaine Kamarck at the Brookings Institution, a research and policy center in Washington, D.C., found that 96% of Trump-endorsed candidates won their recent primary elections. Those candidates were a select group only about 12% of all Republican candidates got Trumps nod.
Kamarck noted that many contests included Trump "wannabes."
"Candidates attacked each other for not being loyal enough to Trump or they tried to paint themselves as the best example of Trumpism, even when they did not get the formal endorsement," Kamarck wrote.
Thirty-six percent of primary candidates identified themselves as Trump or MAGA Republicans; 47% called themselves mainstream conservatives.
A majority of Republicans challenge the 2020 election
Biden defined MAGA Republicans as those who refuse to accept that he won the 2020 election. And poll results suggest that is true.
In the survey of Southern state Republicans, about 80% of those who identified strongly as MAGA said they did not believe the 2020 election was fair or accurate, compared with 66% of those who identified as Traditional Republicans.
But the percentages of election deniers are high for all Republicans. In survey after survey, between 60% and 70% of Republicans say Biden was not the legitimate winner.
The violence on Jan. 6
Biden said MAGA Republicans believe the violence that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was justified.
Surveys show that Republican attitudes on the Capitol breach and the battle with law enforcement are divided. But a Monmouth University poll also found that in the past year, Republicans became a little more accepting of the violence that day.
In June 2021, 62% of Republican respondents said it was appropriate to call the event a riot. In August 2022, 45% said so.
In June 2021, 47% of Republicans said it was a legitimate protest, In August 2022, the fraction rose to 53%.
That roughly equal division among Republicans showed up again in a December 2021 CBS News poll. Then, 47% of Republicans said the people who stormed the Capitol were patriots; 53% said they were not.
But when asked in the CBS poll whether they approved of what took place, 76% of Republicans said they disapproved.
Original post:
PolitiFact | What is a MAGA Republican?
- The 2026 Senate map is tough for Democrats, but Republicans have their own headaches - MPR News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Republicans food aid cuts will hit grocers in many towns that backed Trump - Politico - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans aim to redraw House districts at Trumps urging, but theres a risk - AP News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Hill Republicans brace for another grueling fight over Trumps spending cuts - Politico - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- The 2026 Senate map is tough for Democrats, but Republicans have their own headaches - El Paso Inc. - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- The 2026 Senate map is tough for Democrats, but Republicans have their own headaches - Norwalk Hour - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- The 2026 Senate map is tough for Democrats, but Republicans have their own headaches - Bay to Bay News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- What Republicans think of Musk and Trump after Musk's acrimonious exit from the administration - YouGov - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republicans at odds with Trump over release of Epstein case documents - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Georgia Republicans Have Gone Full Knives Out - Bloomberg.com - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Republicans are trying to pull Pat Dugan back into the District Attorney race - Billy Penn at WHYY - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Trump backs Texas plan to redraw voting maps to benefit House Republicans - Reuters - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- 'Long overdue': Senate Republicans ram through Trump's clawback package with cuts to foreign aid, NPR - Fox News - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans advance nomination of former Trump lawyer Emil Bove as Democrats walk out - CNN - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Governor Hochul Convenes Cabinet Meeting on Devastating Impacts of Republicans Big Ugly Bill on New York State - Governor Kathy Hochul (.gov) - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Trump blasts 'stupid' and 'foolish' Republicans amid calls to reveal more Epstein files - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- A risky bet? Texas Republicans poised to redraw congressional map on Trumps orders - The Guardian - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Republicans to tee up House vote on Epstein resolution - The Hill - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Republicans are split over the Trump administrations handling of Epstein files - Politico - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Republicans Fretted Over Ceding Spending Power to Trump. Then They Voted to Do It. - The New York Times - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- These are the Republicans who voted against Trump's $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding - Fox News - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Republicans Introduce Bill to Revoke the Charter of Largest US Teachers Union - Truthout - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Trump pushes Texas Republicans to redraw congressional maps to help defend GOP's House majority - Fox News - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Is This Restaurant the Only Thing Democrats and Republicans Agree On? - The New York Times - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Youre Irrelevant: House Republicans Roll Their Eyes at the Freedom Caucus - NOTUS - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Republicans plow ahead on cuts to PBS and foreign aid - Axios - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Susan Collins finally got her dream job. Fellow Republicans are making it a nightmare. - Politico - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans in Congress Shift to Backing Ukraine, Matching Trumps Reversal - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- House Speaker Johnson joins growing number of Republicans pressing Trump administration for more transparency on Epstein case - CNN - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trump tells Texas Republicans to redraw the state congressional map to help keep House majority - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Behind Republicans Risky Bid to Draw Themselves Five More Seats in Texas - Cook Political Report - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- A closer look at where Senate Republicans stand on Trumps rescission request - PBS - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans narrowly advance Trump's $9 billion spending cut package - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- House Republicans block Democratic maneuver to force release of Epstein files - Axios - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- For Some Republicans, Trumps Shift on Epstein Is Just the Latest Breach - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans race to slash $9bn for public broadcasting and foreign aid - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans break with Trump on Epstein - The Washington Post - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans move to block Democratic effort to force release of Epstein files - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans renew a bid to remove noncitizens from the census tally behind voting maps - NPR - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- These Republicans Want More Details Over Handling of Epstein Files - Newsweek - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Opinion | Mamdani for Mayor (if You Want to Help the Republicans) - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans Proceed with Bill to Increase Energy Costs and Make Americans More Vulnerable to Nuclear Threats - House.gov - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Texas Redistricting Maneuver May Harm Republicans More Than It Helps - The American Prospect - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans Oldest Trick In The Book - split-ticket.org - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans in Congress break with Trump on his handling of the Epstein files - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans declared it crypto week in the House. Its not going as planned - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans declared it crypto week in the House. Its not going as planned - WHEC.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Ohio House Republicans will try to override Gov. DeWine property tax vetoes - Ohio Capital Journal - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 211 House Republicans Vote to Block Release of Epstein Files - The New Republic - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- NC Republicans in Congress respond to Gov. Stein's letter on Trump budget - WRAL.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans divided over looming vote to rescind $9 billion in spending - The Spokesman-Review - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans confirm Whitney Hermandorfer, the first judge of Trumps second term - MSNBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trump is crushing it, but the Republicans can still blow it in 2026 and 2028 - The Hill - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Jan. 6 Rioters Are the New Hot Event in Town for Republicans - The Wall Street Journal - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Republicans and Democrats visited Alligator Alcatraz for the first time. Heres what they saw. - Politico - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Pollster: Republicans outnumber Democrats in number of active registered voters in Louisiana for first time - louisianaradionetwork.com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Cortez Masto Blasts Republicans for Refusing to Fix the Provision in Their Tax Bill that Limits the Wagering Loss Deduction - Senator Catherine Cortez... - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Karoline Leavitt Just Made A Trump Claim So Ridiculous That Even Republicans Are Calling It Out - Yahoo - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Republicans Blame Canada for Wildfire Smoke Suffocating the U.S. - The New York Times - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans block attempt to roll back massive tax hike on professional gamblers - AP News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans run a risky strategy for holding the House that rests on redrawn maps - Politico - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- As Texas Republicans prepare for mid-decade redistricting, cautionary tales loom from the past - The Texas Tribune - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Trump warns Republicans against rejecting cuts to PBS and NPR - The Hill - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans probably shouldve read their far-right megabill before passing it - MSNBC News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans Are Changing Their Tune on Immigration: Poll - Newsweek - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kelly: Republicans cut health care and food for AZ families so the wealthy could pay lower taxes - Arizona Mirror - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Think Democrats and Republicans can't work together? On sealing eviction records, they do. - Stateline - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- How Republicans Rejected A Texas Flood Warning System - The Lever - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans have a brazen new plan to block Democrats from retaking the House in 2026 - Mother Jones - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Ron Faucheux: Will the Big Beautiful Bill sink Republicans? - NOLA.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- The big, beautiful bill could get ugly for Republicans - The Hill - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans push for business sanction on sanctuary cities - NJ Spotlight News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Nicolle Wallace: Trump 'has turned Republicans in the Senate into ghosts' - MSN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jury finds former head of Island County Republicans guilty in Elections Office mask mandate case - Whidbey News-Times - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Charlie Kirk sounds the alarm on the biggest threat to Republicans holding the White House in 2028 - Fox News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jon Stewart Rips Republicans for Trying to Jedi Mind Trick Americans Into Thinking There Never Was an Epstein List | Video - Yahoo - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans toe Trump line even in aftermath of deadly Texas floods - The Guardian - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | How Republicans can defy history and survive the midterms - The Washington Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- What the Big, Beautiful Bill Reveals About Republicans - Slate Magazine - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Are Republicans bowing to Trump even more than they used to? - KCRW - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]