Making sense of America’s newest Guild… Again (Part 3) “What Even Is MAGA?”

Today is Episode 3 of our 5‑part series based on my book Making Sense of America’s Newest Guild… Again: What I discovered in my search for answers.

In Episode 1, we talked about labels.

In Episode 2, we talked about lenses.

Today, we’re talking about the big question that has been looming over our society; it’s one that many refuse to understand, and it’s one many already know.

What is MAGA, really?

We are not talking about what the narrative of the day says or what the media has conditioned so many to believe, but about what I discovered in my search for answers.

Story time!

One day a man walked into a fancy restaurant. The attendant asked where he’d like to sit.

The man replied, “At my usual table.”

He sat down, and when the waiter asked what he wanted, the man said, “I’ll have the usual.”

The waiter asked if he had been there before.

The man answered, “No.”

The man said he had heard enough people talking about the restaurant that he felt like he had been there before and thought he knew what the usual was.

Welcome to the modern thought process of many Americans.

We have strong opinions about things we have never experienced, don’t understand, and truly know little to nothing about. We believe we “know” things we have never researched. We hate people and things we have never defined and refuse to understand.

MAGA.

Such a simple acronym… often treated as a vulgar four‑letter word. It has become a political inkblot test. When one hears, says, reads, or thinks of MAGA, one sees whatever they have already been conditioned to see.

Patriotism; treason; hope; fear; light; darkness; care; hate; pride; self‑loathing; a neighbor; the enemy. Some people might not see anything at all; they just emotionally react because they were instructed to.

Remember, if one can control what you are allowed or able to learn—that is, what you “know”—then they can control what you believe, which will control how you act; they will control you.

As I wrote in the book, "Most of what we know, we were told to know.”

MAGA is the perfect example; it is the litmus test of the individual.

You’ve heard the labels: “Extreme.” “Terrorist.” “White supremacist.” “Threat to democracy.” “Fascist.” “Xenophobic.” “Sexist.” “Homophobic.” “Deplorable.” “Racist.” “Domestic enemy.” “Nazi.”

So… what does MAGA actually mean?

Before we can discuss what MAGA is, we first need to talk about what MAGA is not.

MAGA is not:

• A race

• A religion

• A cult

• A single person

• A class system

• An education level

• A single demographic

• A hidden or secret society

• An anti‑American, anti‑humanitarian organization

• A systemic racist disease

• And it certainly is not the end of the world.

But it has become a label, and labels are easy. Labels are also lazy.

Here is what I discovered through my search for answers.

MAGA is a guild.A guild is just a group of people united by a shared set of values.Not stereotypes, but values.

Freedom. Liberty. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A love for their country and heritage. Supporting the Constitution of the United States of America. A belief in individual rights and personal responsibility. A belief that one can put their country first without being intolerant, racist, or inhumane. A belief in the values and standards that helped build this nation. A belief in the truth—even when it is uncomfortable. A desire to bring back critical thought and independence.

Not all MAGA supporters live these values out perfectly. Some are even registered on the left side of the political spectrum. But these values help build the foundation of what MAGA represents. It is the thesis of MAGA.

Do you hold any of those same values?

As I wrote in the book, "If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those… you already share common ground with millions of Americans you think you disagree with.”

That’s the part no one wants to admit.

Here is the reality I discovered: Most people who identify with MAGA are not extremists; they are not violent; they are not hateful; they are not racists; they are not trying to overthrow the government; they are not trying to ruin America. They are trying to preserve their country and their heritage. They are trying to defend the values they hold dear. They are trying to preserve the foundational values and standards and roots they believe are being eroded—quietly, slowly, and intentionally.

So, whether you agree with them or not, remember this: You cannot understand them until you understand that.