MAGA and various Trump sychophants love to call themselves patriots, but what does that mean? Patriotism has never belonged to a single party, ideology, or movement. Loving one’s country is not measured by yard signs, slogans, or how loudly someone wraps themselves in the flag. It’s reflected in a commitment to the nation’s founding principles — liberty, equality under the law, and democratic self-government. Millions of Americans who may not identify as conservatives express their patriotism every day by defending those principles, even when it’s uncomfortable or politically inconvenient. Does MAGA actually love this country. When you talk with a person who calls themselves MAGA you are left with an inescapable knowledge of what and who they hate. Who doesn’t belong and why others are evil. But what about America do they actually like?

Belief in civil liberties is, at its core, an act of faith in the American experiment. Supporting free speech means protecting voices you disagree with. Defending due process means insisting that constitutional protections apply even to the unpopular. Standing up for freedom of religion means preserving space for every belief — or none at all. These are not abstract ideals; they are the living framework of the Bill of Rights, and people who work to preserve them are demonstrating deep loyalty to the country’s highest values, not undermining them.

A healthy democracy depends on the idea that dissent can be patriotic. Throughout U.S. history, progress has often come from citizens who loved their country enough to push it to live up to its promises. Expanding rights, challenging unjust laws, and demanding accountability from leaders are not signs of disloyalty — they are signs of engagement and belief in the system’s capacity to improve. Patriotism is not about uniformity of opinion; it’s about shared dedication to the freedoms and institutions that make the United States what it is. Perhaps MAGA are patriots and perhaps they simply seek to use to the state to destro those they hate. Perhaps they support Trump because he hates the people they hate or perhaps he hates no one and simply tells them whatever he needs to because he seeks self enrichment and hatred is teh greatest tool created by man to maintain power and thus self-enrichment.