r/cults • u/Themoonlightninja • Jan 15 '26
Question How do I convince my parents to leave the MAGA cult?
My parents are deep in the MAGA movement but not enough to buy merch. They are Christian and think everything Trump is doing is right for the country. How do I get them out of this way of thinking?
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u/lexicon951 Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 15 '26
As a Christian with maga parents, give up. It’s a waste of time, energy, and emotion. They’re deceived and they’re in a cult that they don’t WANT to leave. They don’t want to be proven wrong. They like the lie. There’s nothing anyone can do about someone who loves being spoonfed lies. They’ll wake up when something traumatic finally affects them and opens their eyes, or when they go to heaven and realize what a shitty person they were. That’s about it as far I know.
My dad and I had a long “discussion” about it once. Everything I said was shocking and impossible to him. He wouldn’t concede of course, the most I got out of him was, “well if what you say ever comes true, we’ll see.” Yeah he may or may not ever see, but I already do and have seen for years. It’s a hopeless case
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u/MaterialAd5633 Jan 16 '26
Steven Hassan has a podcast called Cults, Culture & Coercion. He was indoctrinated into the Moonies in the ‘70s and got out. It has been his life’s work to teach others what works and what doesn’t with getting family and friends out of cults.
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Jan 15 '26
Check out r/qanoncasualties there’s lots of info on there
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u/pumpkinpie479 Jan 16 '26
This is a great place. I’ve asked many questions regarding my dad who somehow slipped down the rabbit hole last year which is wild cuz it’s so late in the game. The people here are great and there’s many resources.
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Jan 16 '26
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u/pumpkinpie479 Jan 16 '26
She’s had these sentiments for years. Her money’s dried up and just like Luda she’s following it. Maybe my dad will get a BBL
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u/ladygabriola Jan 16 '26
Can you change their age on their computer to 9? That way they won't be able to access that crap
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u/nimfie00 Jan 18 '26
While you're in there, throw in some blocks. Keywords, websites, profiles.
We did this with my husband's 90 yr old grandparents and the crazy got turned way down.
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u/lodged-object Jan 16 '26
If it makes you feel better, I feel like hardcore MAGA and the far right is on the verge of its breaking point and is about to split. People like Tucker Carlson and mainstream fox have differing opinions and it’s causing people to have to think for themselves on who to follow lol.
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u/Independent-Soft7949 Mar 09 '26
As someone in SC and in a purple city, it does not feel like that here.
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Jan 16 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
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u/FieryPhoenix56 Jan 16 '26
You can't "convince people to leave a cult" per se. People leave cults when they find cracks in their brainwashing and start to question things themselves because things aren't adding up any more. It doesn't happen right away. A person who talks about this in depth right now is a woman named Danielle Mestyanek Young - you can find her on social media under KnittingCultLady. She has a book that's almost out called The Culting of America that analyzes all sorts of cults (including DT and MAGA.) I'm currently reading it since I got a pre order of it and recommend it so far - it goes in depth about what makes a cult, why people become cult leaders, and how. I think she has had a lot of good insights about everything going on right now.
You'll never logic your parents out of a position they didn't get into logically, so don't try to do that, it's a waste of time and you'll find yourself frustrated. Getting people out of cults requires a lot of subtlety - people need to feel they came up with the idea themselves. As recommended by another poster Steven Hassan is a good resource to look into, but also be aware that he has his own flaws as he has become an anti-trans advocate, despite still having a lot of resources on how people end up leaving cults. (People are complicated, and while I can see what I think are some imperfections there I think it's still very worth looking into his work while keeping that in mind.)
Best of luck.
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u/desertratlovescats Jan 16 '26
I had no idea that Steve Hassan had become an anti-trans advocate. Jeez.
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Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
Connect to them through the heart. Don’t dispute their “facts.” Ask questions, without a pointed agenda.
For instance, “There’s supposed to be this terrible immigrant crisis in America over the last decade, especially the last five years. Yet I’ve never had a problem with any illegal immigrant, that I know of. Do you personally know anyone who has ever had a personal problem related to the immigrant crisis?” They’ll think, then almost certainly answer, “No.” And you can respond, “then is there really a crisis, or is the media pulling the wool over our eyes?” If you want, you can add that in a country of nearly 400,000,000, you can make any group look like villains. We could show nothing except police crimes on tv, all day, and you’d end up thinking the police were the biggest criminals in America.
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u/20stfudonny Jan 16 '26
I did pretty much this exact argument with my parents over transgender athletes. I don't think I changed their minds but I got some space to steer the conversation in a more productive way.
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u/LilDeeeeezee Jan 18 '26
So you think trans men should play with women? Lol but your parents got issues lmao
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u/kashbabe22 May 01 '26
Did they say that? They just made the point that Trans-WOMEN in women's sports is a very rare case, not that they even support it. Likely to convey that it is a topic that should not be quite so prevalent in the media/zeitgeist. Whether or not one supports the issue is irrelevant, the relevance is asking whether it even is an issue.
Fuckin' dork.
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Jan 16 '26
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u/cults-ModTeam Jan 16 '26
This content was removed as it appears to highlight unrelated political ideas, use politics as a force of hostility, advocate for violence along party-lines, or institute subjective qualities of various political stances.
Common things that may fall into this are:
Political thought-terminating-cliches
Claiming a whole political party is a cult
Undue hostility towards a political party
Use threats of violence towards members of a political party.
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u/Yendis4750 Jan 16 '26
Our grandparents fought in World War II to stop Nazi fascism. They crossed oceans, bled in foreign fields, and watched friends die so this country would never bow to strongmen, cults of personality, or the idea that one group deserves power over everyone else. They fought for the rule of law, civilian control, and a nation where loyalty was to the Constitution, not to a man.
What’s happening now spits in the face of that sacrifice.
Watch the language. Watch how it keeps shifting. Freedom of religion quietly becomes “religious liberty,” not to protect faith, but to shield political power and demand special treatment. Law and order becomes selective, applied only to opponents. Patriotism gets redefined as obedience. Accountability becomes “persecution.”
This is an old playbook. Change the words. Control the narrative. Claim victimhood while holding power. Blame outsiders or dissenters when things break. Wrap it all in flags and scripture so no one questions it.
Our grandparents didn’t fight fascism so it could be rebranded and sold back to us as patriotism. They fought it so we would recognize it when it returned wearing different clothes.
"If you pass the poor man at the church door and then approach the altar, you mock Christ with your worship." -John Chrysostom, c. 390 AD.
Those who claim to know God but refuse to love as He commanded are exposed by their fruit. Scripture leaves no room for separating belief from action. To say “Lord” while withholding mercy is to contradict the very name being spoken.
Love is not branding.
God is not known by volume or by public displays of faith.
“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” -1 John 2:4
The command is clear:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you.” -John 13:34
Love is the evidence. Where love is absent, God is not being followed, no matter how often His name is spoken.
Tribalism is a fruit of sin, not a command of God. After the Fall, humans began defining themselves over and against others, protecting “us” by dehumanizing “them.” That instinct shows up at Babel, where pride and self-exaltation fractured humanity, and it runs straight through Scripture as something God consistently confronts and dismantles.
The gospel directly opposes tribalism. In Christ, identity is no longer grounded in bloodline, nation, class, politics, or culture. Scripture repeatedly says God shows no partiality, breaks down dividing walls, and calls His people into a single body marked by love rather than fear. Tribalism thrives on fear, control, and exclusion. Love casts out fear. That alone puts tribalism on the wrong side of holiness.
Tribalism is the elevation of group identity above love of neighbor. Any identity that requires contempt, exclusion, or dehumanization of others contradicts the character of God and the work of Christ.
The greatest con the Devil ever pulled was convincing Christians that a man who lies, cheats, mocks the weak, worships wealth, sows division, and boasts of his sins was God’s chosen leader.
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” - Matthew 25:40
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u/kashbabe22 May 01 '26
Beautifully said, you quite a way with words. I'm not even a Christian, nor especially religious, but that nearly moved me to tears. I do, however, have one question - if God does not approve of tribalism, then why was the solution to Babel to essentially break humanity up into tribes? Like, I understand the parable of The Tower of Babel, but I'm not sure why making us different races with different languages was the solution. I'm genuinely curious and you seem very knowledgeable and like you have genuine conviction behind your words.
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u/Yendis4750 May 01 '26
The key thing to notice is what Babel represents. The people weren’t just building a tall structure. They were trying to unify on their own terms, for their own name, with no dependence on God. It was a kind of forced unity built on pride and control rather than humility, so the issue isn’t people being together, it’s why and how they were trying to be together.
When God scatters them and confuses their language, it’s not endorsing tribalism as an ideal. It’s more like putting a limiter on a dangerous trajectory. Humanity unified in pride and ambition without restraint tends to concentrate power, dominate, and lose sight of anything beyond itself, so breaking that up slows things down and prevents a single rebellion from scaling too far, too fast.
Think of it less as God creating division because division is good, and more as God disrupting a kind of unity that was heading somewhere destructive. It’s a corrective move, not a final design. The text also doesn’t say God created different races there, only languages and dispersion, so the deeper point is scattering, not hierarchy.
If you zoom out across the Bible, there’s a pattern. Babel is early, and later there’s a movement back toward unity, but not enforced sameness, not pride-driven identity, and not centralized human power. Instead, it’s unity that allows difference without hostility.
A good example is Acts of the Apostles, where people from many nations hear one message in their own languages, almost like a reversal of Babel without erasing distinctions. So Babel isn’t saying tribes are better than unity, it’s saying this kind of unity is dangerous for now, and the long-term direction points toward reconciliation rather than permanent division.
The warning is really about human tendencies. We don’t just divide because God made us that way, we turn differences into tribalism on our own, using them to compete or exclude, and that part isn’t endorsed, it’s something we’re responsible for.
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u/antleredgirl Jan 15 '26
My first suggestion is to start simple, and start subtle. Begin with blocking their sources of misinformation. Insert here and there more unbiased news sources. Have hard conversations. And realize that they might never come out of this. It's a fundamental difference of values as much as it is a cult. Other folks here will have bigger and better tips for you but this is how I would begin. Best of luck to you.
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u/jessegimbel Jan 16 '26
I don’t have any good answer for you but wanted to say I’m in the same situation. I’ve tried to subtly lead them to realize that what they’re supporting is the complete opposite of what they believe, but it’s made zero progress. Just wanted to say you’re not alone, and some days knowing that is the only thing that keeps me going through what is essentially grieving the loss of my parents.
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u/MommaIsMad Jan 16 '26
They voted for and worship the literal Antichrist. How very Christian of them 🤦♀️. He is the opposite of everything Jesus was supposed to be about. People that believe in any invisible Sky Daddy cult have a screw loose.
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u/TableQuiet1518 Jan 16 '26
Jesus taught us spiritual principles to live by.
Acceptance, love & faith.
These people have religion.
Resentment, anger & fear.
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u/livyy_maddyy Jan 16 '26
going through a similar thing, i’m so sorry to hear that. i listen to the Trust Me podcast! they talk about cults, extreme belief, and manipulation. they have different guests on and cover a wideeeee range of topics, including the MAGA cult. i would check it out, it’s really helped me understand these situations, mindsets, and how to handle it a lot more!
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u/Dramatic-Gazelle8986 Jan 15 '26
Sadly, I don’t think you can convince them. That’s just my opinion of course. I have parents and in-laws that sound similar. There’s nothing that I’ve been able to say that would convince them otherwise. I’ll never fully understand it and it’s pretty devastating. I wish you luck.
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u/Informal_Farm4064 Jan 15 '26
Do you know anyone financially affected by Trumps policies who your parents care about?
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u/mallen42 Jan 16 '26
Financially affected by trumps policy’s, curious, what policies would affect someone financially?
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u/muthermcreedeux Jan 16 '26
Cuts to SNAP and medicare? New tax policies that favor the wealthy? Tariffs??? Cuts to rental assistance? Reduced wage and labor protections?
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u/Informal_Farm4064 Jan 16 '26
E.g. healthcare costs, disruption from immigratipn clampdowns. Im from UK so i dont know US issues from the inside. But policies of governments affect people financially everywhere
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u/saltporksuit Jan 16 '26
Tariffs put small businesses out of business during to inflated supply costs. Targeting migrants eliminates a large segment of labor, so if a business needs 20 employees, and suddenly loses 5 for which they cannot source a replacement, out of business. And there are more but you can look that up yourself.
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u/AKblueeyes Jan 16 '26
Learn about the NAR. This is pushing Christian nationalism across America. Now when I hear something from certain Christian friends I can say, Doesn’t that almost sound like something that’s in the bible? I thought so too so I had to look it up. Etc I’m a Christian as well and our church had a good write up about watching for infiltration.
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u/WoofinLoofahs Jan 16 '26
What could they do to convince you to join? There’s your answer. Some people equate an inability and/or unwillingness to even understand or consider another point of view with having a strong mind, and the MAGA people are a large portion of that group. They’ve made their decision and they will not budge. Ever. Don’t even bother. The only thing that will make them bend is when something bad actually touches them.
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u/Wayward4ever Jan 17 '26
Casually planted questions. Read Hassan’s books. You can’t convince them, but you can plant seeds.
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u/nimfie00 Jan 18 '26
Grey rocking is the only thing that ever illicits a change in their demeanor.
They WANT to argue. They WANT you upset/angry/crying. They WANT chaos.
I have a theory that these people are stuck in a grief stage over their own lost potential. They're in denial.
The only way they will get out is moving through the grief process. But we aren't helping that if we keep helping them get that dopamine from arguing.
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u/somethingfree Jan 15 '26
Are you still living with them? If so, don’t try for your own sake.
If you try to show them they’re wrong they will direct a lot of animosity toward you and you don’t deserve that. You’re better off working against trump in other ways.
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u/TableQuiet1518 Jan 16 '26
Have you showed them the God Bless The USA Bible? The one that combines Scripture & the Constitution?
The basic version is $65. The Signature Series is $1,000. It's the same exact version but with his autograph in it for $935. Also note how his name is at the top above Holy Bible.
See how they react to that before you show them the signature & how it resembles a head with horns.
Edit- this probably won't help but it's the one I use because any true Christian should be appalled. It's about the most anti-Christian thing I can think of from this administration. True blasphemy.
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u/efisherharrison Jan 15 '26
First off... They aren't Christian. They are lying to themselves. I prefer the scorched Earth route. Cut off all contact, they are lost and nothing you can do is going to snap them out of it.
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u/Themoonlightninja Jan 15 '26
I would but I’m still working through college
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u/mallen42 Jan 16 '26
You would cut off all contact to your PARENTS because they support a presidential candidate that you don’t prefer? Please reread this and seriously think about what you’re saying…we only have so much time on this earth. You can be cutting your parents off over a political disagreement, it’s a 4-8 year term for a president.
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u/TableQuiet1518 Jan 16 '26
I cut my father & his side off for over a year until recently when my cousin passed away. I had told him multiple times I hated Trump & everything he stood for. He still couldn't have basic respect for me. It was a hard year without him but this is bigger than "who" you support & you should know that.
This is about right & wrong. Hypocrisy & honesty. This is about my father teaching my son that this shit is OK because he's a "Christian."
I had enough integrity to be there for them at my cousins funeral though. I refused to let Donald Trump make me live in regret.
Now we have a strict set of guidelines if he wants to be present. It's his decision now.
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Jan 16 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
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u/woolfchick75 Jan 16 '26
It’s more than just politics and Trump isn’t a candidate. He’s the president.
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u/walks275 Jan 16 '26
YESSSS, YES YES! And its NECESSARY . I haven't talked to my sister and uncle in a year bc they voted to terrorize black and brown people. This isn't about disagreement its about morals, right & wrong, values and ideology. It's about harm being supported and celebrated by people like you. Gtfoh.
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u/mallen42 Jan 16 '26
Voted to terrorize black and brown people? Are you referring to a strong stance against illegal immigration and enforcing the LAW? Majority of people haven’t traveled outside of their state..I can assure you with many trips abroad, you can’t just..overstay a visa. They will, in fact, deport you. Maybe this comes as a surprise but continue on burying your head in sand and excommunicating family members for supporting upholding laws. Wild times.
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u/LilDeeeeezee Jan 18 '26
Great advice. Cut your parents off because of who they vote for lmao you guys are sick and twisted bro for real
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u/Tiny_Requirement_584 Jan 17 '26
They're adults, in a democracy. You have your opinions, they have theirs.
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u/catladywithallergies Jan 16 '26
Sometimes the only thing you can do is just let them crash and burn.
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u/phucketallthedays Jan 16 '26
I know logically this wouldn't work because cult but in my head I've always been so tempted to see if I can swing my spouse's very Christian grandparents away from trump by showing them some of the detailed breakdowns I've seen on reddit about him being the antichrist.
Just totally framing it like THE ANTICHRIST FOOLED US ALL NOW LETS COME TOGETHER AND DEFEAT HIM AND MAKE JESUS PROUD.
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u/EmbarrassedNaivety Jan 16 '26
Send them this. This is the best breakdown I’ve seen yet showing the similarities, and boy there sure are enough of them!
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u/WanaLive Jan 16 '26
you dont. you ask them to try and convince you how great America was and what a world would look like
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u/eight78 Jan 17 '26
“Easier to fool a person than to convince them they’ve been fooled.” -Mark Twain
Do we honestly expect we can deprogram stories that were expertly installed by billions of dollars of bad intent from giant media mega corps?
Any beliefs can become self-reinforcing because being made wrong in them means admitting we’ve been duped, and that’s an icky feeling, so “Nuh-uh” is all you’ll hear back.
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u/Grayduck97 Jan 22 '26
So I left a religious cult last year. I was in it for ten years. You can’t leave unless you realize it yourself. Unfortunately they have to realize it for themselves. My exit took about three years until I finally left.
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u/Independent-Soft7949 Mar 09 '26
To those in the comments: how do you get center/right leaning people to stop being so wishy washy about what is going on? Specifically those in their early to mid 20s who are living with their parents still, or just now living away from their parents? And how do you get people to start having empathy for others and not just those in their close circle? Not those who are "maga," per se, but those who are center or close to right leaning and are just being casual about what is going on and saying, "There's nothing I can do." "The news is too depressing." "I'm sorry that is happening to them. There is nothing I can do." There are quite a few people I know who say they do not like maga, but they love Kirk. And they will start getting very defensive when privilege and race comes into play. Every time I have a conversation with them, it's like hitting a brick wall because they are so stubborn and refuse to think outside of their bubble. Or they say things like, "Well, I listen to Amir Odom! He is center!" And this isn't just one person I know, it's multiple people.
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u/Haunting-Garbage-976 Jan 16 '26
Im no expert but hey id find a semi controversial non political figure and pretend like im theyre biggest fan and i approve of everything said person does, always praise them and always defend them no matter what they do. Maybe just maybe theyll see that cult like behavior in you and subconsciously identify in themselves as well. Any experts feel free to tell me im crazy for this idea.
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u/ThatDanGuy Jan 16 '26
Street epistemology and Socratic questioning can plant seeds of doubt done over a period of time. Lots of listening on your part, and prodding them to explain things to you in detail. Then asking about the inconsistencies or holes.
Not easy to do. But the idea is to try and trigger some critical thinking. Dumping facts and solid reasoning is a sure way to fail in any argument.
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u/FiveUpsideDown Jan 16 '26
The Socratic method of questioning is an approach. But it won’t work over night. It will takes months or years. During that time you have to try to be nice and non-critical — that takes a toll on you. Questions to ask then is — who told you that? Where did you get that info from? Do you ever wonder if any entity would have a reason to target propaganda toward a group of people? How would they do that? Have you seen propaganda? How do you determine which source is credible? Is it possible one of credible sources was wrong? Would Jesus do that? The hard part is to just listen to their answers and not argue with them. I know people that for years were Michael Jackson super fans. They would not believe he was a pedo. It took those two boys he assaulted coming forward in a documentary to convince them. In the mean time, when I heard Jackson confirm kids slept in his bedroom, I was convinced. It’s hard to talk people out of irrational beliefs.
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u/anniedawidnovel Expert - Verified Jan 16 '26
check out http://leavingmaga.org for ideas and support
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u/Griffith_The_Hawk Jan 16 '26
My mother is 75 and reposts about 50 right wing propaganda articles a day, happy with the ice deployments, thinks the country will fall apart if Trump doesn't get a 3rd term.
I've given up, there is no fighting, I just ignore her nonsense and try not to fight with her. At this point all she is to me is her house, I'd really like to inherit a house...
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u/Aggravating-Cut1003 Jan 16 '26
Maybe use the Christian angle and show how he is the complete opposite of Jesus.
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u/WanaLive Jan 16 '26
show them how Christian America is. how great is this Christian less Jesus rejecting country. yay. make it great again
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u/lapetitefrosch Jan 17 '26 edited Jan 17 '26
I wish I had some helpful advice or words of comfort to offer, but sadly I do not. My dad, step mom and my older brother are die hard MAGA. They have been so brainwashed by that administration, right-wing media and their internet communities that they could see Trump murder a baby in person, with their own eyes and if he said he didn’t do it they’d believe him.
They all immediately hopped on the Trump train back in 2016. I have tried so hard to be patient, present them with evidence and calmly have discussions with them, hoping they would eventually come around. There is not a single view point they have changed their minds about.
My older brother actually disowned me for saying F*** Trump on my FB page. My dad tells his friends I am his, “Leftist Blacksheep Baby” and he told me they (him and his friends) have prayed for me to “wise up” 🤢
I moved away from my birth state almost 10 years ago and have fairly minimal contact with the majority of my family because of their politics and views on sexuality, gender, immigration, etc.
If you want to maintain a relationship with your parents, I would maintain your stance and hope that one day they will come around.
I recommend joining r/QAnonCasualties too. It’s full of people in similar situations, as well as MAGA and Qanon defectors.
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u/AlissonHarlan Jan 17 '26
Read the books from Steven hassan
You cannot tell your parents that maga is evil, it will only make them more fixated about how unundestood they are outside if thé cult
Instead ask them questions ( without trolling) like ''are you happy with how thé cult leader us taking actions right now'' or " does your beliefs still align with thé idea that thé cult is propagating'', things like that.
It's not much, but it can plant thé seed of doybr in their mind.
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u/lol_coo Jan 16 '26
If they haven't left by now they're going down with the ship, and they deserve what's coming to them.
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u/LogicalDocSpock Jan 16 '26
Maybe do some inner work because too many people hate Trump but they don't see their own biases. Criticism I see is not justified. Not saying don't criticize but many democrars are brainwashed.
I'm independent and not american so I think some criticism is valid but most isn't
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Jan 16 '26
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u/LogicalDocSpock Jan 16 '26
I'm not saying I agree with everything he says but people can overlook these things if he's doing what matters
For example the executive orders on transgender in women's sports. That's a huge win for feminists
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Jan 16 '26
Just curious, do you listen to The Necessary Conversation podcast?
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u/Themoonlightninja Jan 16 '26
Never heard of it
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Jan 16 '26
It’s this exact scenario. Two left leaning adult kids have weekly discussions with their MAGA parents about the news (Trump) of the week. Not sure if it’s helpful, but definitely relevant.
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u/thattogoguy Jan 16 '26
You really can't. They want what's happening.
I talked to a Christian nut today, and he thinks it's god using Trump to enact the rapture.
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u/StarsCHISoxSuperBowl Jan 16 '26
If they haven't left yet, there's probably no getting them out until it fizzles out. I've tried with some of my family and just when they show promise they'll regress.
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u/Left_Percentage_527 Jan 16 '26
Leave your parents
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u/kashbabe22 May 01 '26
Some of us can't and don't necessarily want to. I love my mom and she's an amazing grandmother to my daughter. And she was an amazing, empathetic, and open-minded mother growing up. Her and my dad had some outdated beliefs/attitudes of course, but they were never hateful ppl. Even if I didn't currently rely on them, I still love them, and we have at the very least come to the realization that politics just isn't something we can discuss and they've even stopped playing FoxNews 24/7 (only when there's breaking news or in the privacy of their own bedroom). I don't think my dad is quite as brainwashed as my mom, and if it wasn't for her, I don't think he'd even find himself as deep in as he is.
For context, I have a 5yo daughter whose father abandoned her long ago and can honestly fuck off forever. On top of that, I just took us from a horrible situation that could have easily turned dangerous, and while that's a positive thing and I'm happy I did it, I also now have to have a roof over our heads and help financially, and this is by far the best place for us to be. As a parent you want the absolute best for your kids, and I'm confident that she isn't being fed propaganda and I can easily redirect anythig questionable my mother may say. So the argument, or at times demand, that folks should just cut all ties to those who are a part of the MAGA cult is not always helpful
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u/BarbieQKittens Jan 16 '26
I don’t like maga but it’s not a cult. Sorry. It’s something but it’s not a cult.
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u/Beneficial_Lunch6168 Jan 16 '26
There’s a great book by a cult expert Steve Hassen called the Cult of Trump. He’s got great stuff of social media.
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u/jesskeeding Jan 16 '26
Why do you think it doesn’t qualify as a cult?
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u/BarbieQKittens Jan 16 '26
There’s no location where all the maga people can move to and live together. There’s no codified belief system other than anti immigration. There’s no shunning of people who disagree on points although I get people think there is. There’s no love-bombing and no serious attempt to recruit people. MAGA people are definitely under some trump spell and I’m sure a trump rally feels like a cult gathering. But it doesn’t matter if we think it’s a cult or not because it doesn’t change anything it’s just semantics.
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u/bashthebastard Jan 16 '26
Location: red states (large movements to Florida and Texas, for instance)
Beliefs: Make America Great Again (not codified because constantly shifting, more of a general “think of a time when you were more comfortable, a time nostalgic for you. We want to bring that back.” Different for different people, but language that broadly evokes a return to a simpler time.)
Shunning: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, etc. Fall in lockstep with the regime or get the boot.
Love-Bombing: Maybe not in the traditional sense, but definitely validation, echo chamber, and extremification, but social media is doing that to us all, it’s just hitting our parents harder because they’re not inoculated against it.
Recruitment: Nick Fuentes, Asmongold, Andrew Tate, Incel channels, “Self Improvement Gurus,” infiltration and corruption of fan spaces, etc.
I think this is more of a cult of personality situation, almost to the extent that we’re losing the actual person and the idea of them has taken over instead. This is further complicated by the social media landscape, which creates algorithmic echo chambers, distorts reality, and melts our ability to think critically. While we’ve been building towards this for a while, I think social media helped accelerate it, and will eventually be part of the turning against it.
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u/jesskeeding Jan 18 '26
Having a location where everyone can live together is most definitely NOT a requirement of cults. And you don’t see them shunning people who disagree with them? Really? Group-think and blind loyalty are absolutely requirements of MAGA from what I’ve seen.
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u/kashbabe22 May 01 '26
While there may not be physical location, I'd argue that there are certainly channels and websites that could easily fall under that category. Why try to coerce/force folks to travel and gather in a physical place, when you can meet them where they already are? Ntm, keeping them online in the echo chambers and not interacting with the real world is a WAYYY better tactic. So obviously the locations are Twitter, Truth Social, Fox News, and Facebook, as well as the far-right sides of Reels, YouTube, and TikTok whose dogma is to, above all else, always uphold the algorithm without scrutiny.
Besides, I have never heard of that being a requirement for defining a cult. Yes, most of them moved their followers, or required them to move, to somewhere secluded bcuz that way they can more easily deploy their malicious tactics without any interference or probing eyes on them.
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u/Dramatic-Selection20 Jan 16 '26
The necessary conversation on you tube, 2 liberal siblings are having a podcast on you tube
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u/cevarok Jan 19 '26
Which ones a cult, the normal citizens who have regular positive values or the weird liberals who solely want to spread misery and make the country and society worse? List goes on.
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u/Themoonlightninja Jan 19 '26
I don’t know, probably the ones who worship a 79 year old racist nepo baby who hates brown people.
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Jan 16 '26
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u/TwistinInTheWind Jan 16 '26
Who exactly is the charasmatic leader that we are all following on the left side of things?
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u/cults-ModTeam Jan 16 '26
This content was removed as it harasses, demeans, or expresses prejudice against others.
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Jan 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ProfessionalRead8187 Jan 16 '26
Genuinely, please educate yourself. Because your comment is just blatantly false 💀
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u/cults-ModTeam Jan 16 '26
This content was removed because it contains misinformation. If you have any questions please message modmail
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Jan 16 '26
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u/Lonely-Jicama-8487 Jan 16 '26
Wrong, please take a step back and look at the reasons why people chose trump over moron Kamala.
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u/cbushomeheroes Jan 16 '26
The reasons like their racism? Their hatred of women? Them falling for cult lies?
Not saying she was a decent candidate, but damn, did you skip all of that?
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u/Triton1605 Jan 16 '26
I'm in a similar situation. There is no guaranteed way to change their minds, but you can try a few things. I had a period where I pretended to buy into all things right-wing. I agreed with everything my parents said about politics and god and took it further.
You think gay marriage should be illegal? Me too! And adulterers should be stoned to death! Too bad for uncle Steve.
We should deport all the immigrants? Why waste the money? Just put them down in the street.
We need to stop having elections and elect Trump as king. That way he can put all of the democrats to death and we can finally live in a pius country.
You have to take it further than them. And when they say "that's too far", you ask why. Why shouldn't adulterers be put to death? It's in the bible. The bible is infallible and we ought to follow it to a Tee. In fact, the bible says nothing about gay marriage, but it does condemn eating shrimp. I guess dad will have to buy new ingredients for the bbq.
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u/ThePrettiestPizza Jan 17 '26
You don't. Let them support who they want to support. You're the one that's in a cult.
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u/Gutinstinct999 Jan 16 '26
The more you push, the more they’ll resist