Rallying the Faithful: the MAGA Loyalty Test

For a moment, it looked like Donald Trump was losing control of the MAGA movement.

Days before he filed a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal, murmurs of discontent were spreading through Trump’s once-unshakeable base. A resurfaced letter to Jeffrey Epstein had triggered unease. A string of confused social media rants raised fresh doubts about his mental fitness. Fringe influencers were already drifting toward RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. And even some of Trump’s most loyal online warriors were starting to ask – quietly – if their leader was slipping.

Then Trump did what he’s always done best: he picked a fight.

And this time, it wasn’t with Joe Biden, or the Democrats, or even the so-called “deep state.” It was with Murdoch.

By suing the Wall Street Journal for its coverage of the Epstein letter, Trump turned the spotlight away from the content of the letter itself and toward a familiar villain: the media. He gave his supporters a new conspiracy to chase, a new betrayal to fume about, and a clear message – if you’re not with me, you’re against me.

And it worked. At least for now.

Turning a Scandal Into a Cause

Rather than answering questions about his Epstein connections, Trump reframed the controversy as a deliberate smear job. MAGA influencers quickly fell in line. Hashtags attacking Murdoch hit Truth Social. Conservative pundits who had previously echoed the Wall Street Journal’s editorial line suddenly began disavowing it. Even loyal Murdoch media personalities seemed unsure which way to turn.

Trump, sensing blood in the water, doubled down – reviving attacks on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and even Stephen Colbert, whose late-night show was abruptly cancelled in the same media cycle. All dissent, he claimed, was part of the same machine. The only truth was MAGA truth.

The Loyalty Test Worked – but It’s Fragile

Trump’s tactic – painting Murdoch as the enemy – was not without risk. For years, Murdoch’s media empire gave him legitimacy. Fox News was central to Trump’s rise and survival. Suing one of its crown jewels could have triggered further division. But instead, it rallied the MAGA faithful.

Why? Because the base isn’t looking for consistency. It’s looking for conflict.

Trump’s brand is built on perpetual grievance – and every enemy is a fresh reason to stay loyal.

Still, it’s a fragile victory.

The lawsuit didn’t erase the Epstein letter. It didn’t clarify Trump’s confusing speeches or his shifting positions on tariffs, NATO, or abortion. And it certainly didn’t bring back the growing number of disaffected voters quietly eyeing other candidates. What it did do was plug the leak – for now.

But it came at a cost. Trump is no longer just attacking the mainstream press. He’s attacking the conservative press too. He’s narrowing his circle of allies and demanding total obedience. Even the Murdoch media – once a safe haven – is now being tested for ideological purity.

A Glimpse of What’s to Come

Trump’s base may be with him again today, but the deeper cracks remain. As his legal troubles intensify, and as the chaos of his leadership spills further into public view, these moments of unity may grow shorter and less effective.

Still, Trump knows one thing better than anyone else in politics: If you control the outrage, you control the story.

And for now, he’s done just that – by turning a personal scandal into a populist crusade.

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