MAGA unleashes trolling 'strategy' to win key legislative battle

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U.S. President Donald Trump exits the Oval Office to speak at a Rose Garden Club lunch at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Steve Bannon, host of the "War Room" podcast and former White House chief strategist in the first Trump Administration, describes his MAGA strategy as "flood the zone with s——." The idea, according to Bannon, is to wear down political opponents by inundating them with nonsense and trolling.

"Real Time" host Bill Maher has warned liberals and progressives about MAGA's strategy, urging them to stay focused on key issues and not "lose their s——" every time President Donald Trump trolls them or posts something offensive on social media.

In an article published on October 22, MSNBC White House reporter Akayla Gardner emphasizes that MAGA Republicans are using a flood-the-zone strategy during the current shutdown battle. The United States' federal government has been partially shut down since October 1, and so far, Democratic and GOP lawmakers have yet to reach a spending agreement that will end the shutdown.

"White House digital staffers have unleashed a social media strategy full of taunting memes and fake videos, following President Donald Trump's lead in a bid to bolster his base as the government shutdown drags on," Gardner explains. "The amped-up tactics are meant to mock Democrats for their proposal to reverse recently passed restrictions on Medicaid, which the GOP falsely claims pays for health care for undocumented immigrants. The memes include a recurring stunt of placing animated sombreros atop images of Democratic leaders."

The MSNBC reporter adds, "Democrats, for their part, have not responded in kind on social media. Instead, they have mostly stuck to sharing their segments on cable news, and posting explainer videos on the health care tax credits they're pushing to extend in negotiations. They've also continued to criticize the president's social media activity."

Gardner notes that it remains to be seen "which approach wins out in the minds of voters" and "how long the shutdown continues."

Republican Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign senior staffer, told MSNBC that "controversy enhances message" was a "theory in Trump 1.0" and has "become a proven fact in Trump 2.0."

Gardner reports, "The key question is whether the White House's shutdown social strategy is catered to Trump's core or meant to win over the broader public. The answer matters, given the president faces an uphill battle to convince voters that Democrats are responsible for the lapse in government funding that has caused air-travel disruptions, museum closures and missed paychecks for thousands."

Read Akayla Gardner's full MSNBC report at this link.

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