By Mohamad Hammoud

As MAGA Cracks on Core Ideology, Dissenters Turn the Epstein Files and Foreign Policy into Political Weapons

The question looming over the American political landscape is simple: does Trump still command the Republican base with the authority he once enjoyed, or do the cracks now forming signal a deeper ideological unraveling? What began as a unified populist revolt that promised to “drain the swamp” now splinters into competing factions, each claiming to defend the “true” America First agenda. These fractures don’t merely challenge the man; they challenge the movement’s soul.

Ideology vs. Personality: The New Schism

For years, unwavering loyalty to Trump defined MAGA. Supporters forgave behavior that traditionally destroyed political careers, choosing the man over the movement. But The Washington Post recently reported that the Epstein-files controversy has pierced MAGA in a way no previous scandal ever has. The subject taps directly into MAGA’s foundational rage against elite corruption.

Longtime allies now accuse Trump and congressional Republicans of deliberately slowing or blocking full disclosure, and they frame this maneuver as a betrayal. Representative Thomas Massie aggressively pushes for full release, revealing just how far disillusionment now spreads. Trump inflamed anger when he dismissed the uproar as an “Epstein hoax,” a move Truthout reported, and that comment deepened resentment among supporters who believe powerful institutions routinely deceive citizens.

“We didn’t vote for cover-ups,” Massie told reporters.

“Trump is protecting the same elites he once condemned,” a Virginia activist added.

“This isn’t draining the swamp; it’s refilling it,” a prominent MAGA influencer posted.

Foreign Policy Fault Lines: “Israel,” War, and America First

The ideological battle extends deeply into foreign policy, particularly concerning the Middle East. Trump’s administration was defined by its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of “Israel” and the brokering of the Abraham Accords, steps he often touts as historic achievements, as PolitiFact has documented. Yet, the current global dynamics have exposed a critical split within MAGA: between traditional pro- “Israel” evangelicals and a rising cohort of staunchly isolationist “America First” purists.

This cohort frames the debate as a conflict between “America First” and “Make 'Israel' Great Again” [MIGA] politics, a position The Hindu has documented. Tension escalates whenever Trump floats military intervention abroad—such as military action in Venezuela, which CBS News documented—or defends the H-1B visa program, noted by KJZZ. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly challenges the President, calling such policies “not America First positions” and declaring that she wants Air Force One “parked and stay home.” Her attacks underscore a profound disconnect between the former President’s globalist tendencies and the nationalist, non-interventionist instincts of his base.

 “No more wars for foreign interests,” Greene thundered on X.

“We elected an America-First president, not a MIGA puppet,” an Ohio rally-goer shouted.

“Troops out of the Golan now,” read a sign outside Mar-a-Lago.

The New Republican Resistance: Carlson, Congress and Open Defiance

Trump once controlled conservative media with an iron grip, but even that dominance erodes. Tucker Carlson, documented by Wikipedia as a leading ideological figure on the right, now promotes Trumpism while criticizing Trump himself. This maneuver gives disaffected populists a safe ideological home—Trumpism without Trump.

Congressional defiance also grows. Former Representatives Justin Amash and Carlos Curbelo called for Trump’s impeachment over obstruction of justice, Wikipedia reported, breaking Republican ranks early. Today, Greene, Massie, and others openly defy Trump on the Epstein issue. KJZZ reported that Trump retaliated by withdrawing endorsements and calling them “traitors,” a move that reveals his weakening control. Even Mitch McConnell declared Trump “practically and morally responsible” for key events, a statement The Guardian covered and one that would have been unthinkable during Trump’s peak.

“He is not king; he is the president,” Amash told CNN.

“We answer to constituents, not Mar-a-Lago,” Curbelo said on a Miami station.

“Endorsements are earned, not inherited,” Greene snapped on Truth Social.

Where MAGA Moves from Here

Ultimately, the divisions emerging across foreign policy, immigration, and ethical transparency suggest that the MAGA movement is gaining an identity independent of its creator. The President is not necessarily in his “last days,” but his grip is unquestionably shifting from absolute, unquestioning loyalty to one governed by ideological litmus tests established by powerful new voices on the right. The actual battle is no longer over the direction of the Republican Party; it is over the definition of “America First” itself. Who will occupy the fractured throne on November 17, 2025?