Every wildfire eventually burns itself out, no matter how fiercely it rages. Sometimes, the glow dims slowly, suffocated by its own smoke. Other times, it collapses spectacularly, leaving nothing but a pile of embers and the faint smell of regret in the air. Adam Kinzinger seems to think we’re at that second stage when it comes to MAGA.
Kinzinger has never been one to mince words. Taking to X , Kinzinger painted a grim picture of MAGA’s trajectory. He argued that Trump’s decisions, especially the new wave of tariffs, will ultimately backfire by hitting Americans where it hurts the most: their wallets.
This is the beginning of a massive fall of MAGA.
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) April 4, 2025
No amount of division, fear mongering, lies, and cheap lines will overcome the fact that you just took many people’s prosperity just because it makes you feel powerful.
Mark my words, the beginning of the end.
No amount of bluster, divisive rhetoric, or “America First” sloganeering, he suggested, can distract from the undeniable reality that these policies are actively harming the very people Trump claims to champion. In his view, prosperity is being sacrificed not for sound economic strategy, but for a power play.
For decades, global trade operated under a relatively stable system of agreements and regulations. The U.S. was a major architect of this system, which aimed to reduce trade barriers and encourage economic cooperation. But Trump, ever the disruptor, decided to blow it all up. His reasoning? Other countries were “ripping off” the U.S., exploiting trade deficits, and undermining American manufacturing. So, in true Trumpian fashion, he went big. Tariffs as high as 50% have been slapped on goods from dozens of countries, including some of America’s closest allies —somewhere in the chaos, even penguins managed to get dragged into the fight.
China, meanwhile, took about five seconds to say “two can play at this game” and announced a matching 34% tariff on all American imports starting April 10. Beijing also revealed new export controls on rare earth minerals. I’m sure losing access to samarium (essential for aerospace and defense) and gadolinium (used in MRI machines) won’t cause any problems whatsoever for American industries. And as a little appetizer before the main economic course, China suspended chicken imports from two U.S. suppliers, citing banned substances.
The repercussions have been immediate and significant. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones tanked by nearly 1,679 points, or close to 4%, after Trump’s tariff announcement. The U.S. dollar also took a hit. On Main Street, the impact is even more tangible. Prices are rising, jobs are at risk, and the very people who were promised a return to prosperity are finding themselves in an even tougher spot.
Perhaps Kinzinger’s crystal ball isn’t so cloudy after all. The MAGA movement has weathered scandals, impeachments, and criminal indictments like a political cockroach, but hitting supporters in their wallets might be the one thing even the most devoted red hat can’t rationalize away. As they say in politics, “It’s the economy, stupid.” And if Trump’s tariff tsunami delivers economic pain, Kinzinger’s “beginning of the end” prediction might just transform from political wish-casting to prophetic insight.
Published: Apr 6, 2025 07:16 am