Many voters who supported Donald Trump in the United States' 2024 presidential election cited the economy as a primary factor in their decision. Trump relentlessly attacked then-President Joe Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris on the economy, blaming them for inflation. And that messaging worked: Trump narrowly won the election, defeating Democratic nominee Harris by roughly 1.5 percent in the popular vote.
But The New Republic's Alex Shephard, in a scathing article published on February 28, warns that Trump voters, including his hardcore MAGA base, will be among those who suffer because of his administration's "cruelty."
That "cruelty," according to Shephard, is showing up in a variety of policies — from mass layoffs of federal workers to mass deportations.
READ MORE: 'Going to own it': GOP strategist says this issue may be Trump’s 'canary in the coal mine'
"There is no way to understate what is happening in America," Shephard argues. "A sinister alliance between a demagogue, the world’s richest man, and right-wing activists are rapidly remaking the federal government by destroying everything they can. Entire agencies are being eliminated. Tens of thousands of civil service employees have been fired, and that's only a fraction of the initial 220,000 workers in Donald Trump and Elon Musk's crosshairs. Nowhere in the government is safe, it seems, and each day brings a new wave of shocking cuts."
Shephard continues, "This blitzkrieg is reason enough for every American to be alarmed about the direction of their country. And yet, it is hardly the whole story of the damage being wrought by the Trump administration."
That "damage," Shephard stresses, will include "pain" felt by Trump's own voters.
"Trump promised his supporters that he would be their 'retribution,'" Shephard warns, "and he is fulfilling that pledge by inflicting massive, unnecessary pain on the groups he and his supporters vilify as enemies of the people: immigrants, federal workers, trans people, even sick and starving people from 's---hole countries.' And yet, it's also clear that the scope of his cruelty is much broader, for even Trump voters are not immune to the wholesale, indiscriminate destruction wrought by this administration. Some have lost their jobs."
READ MORE: 'Willingly lied to Congress': Critics warn 'flatly illegal' firings will 'cost lives'
Shephard continues, "Some are at the risk of deportation. Some may find themselves at the mercy of a rapacious credit card company that no longer has to worry about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or perhaps they'll become deadly ill from a preventable disease because Kennedy convinced them not to get vaccinated. The misery that Trump is inflicting abroad is just the beginning. Soon, it will be inescapable in America as well, and not even a red MAGA hat can protect you."
READ MORE: This 'isn't a joke': Critics say Trump's threat of third term no laughing matter
Read The New Republic's full article at this link.