MAGA appears to be making the same 'mistake' Dems did during Obama years: editorial
MAGA appears to be making the same mistake Democrats did during President Barack Obama's administration, according to a new editorial from The Washington Post's editorial board.
The editorial was published following the nationwide "No Kings" protest on Saturday, which drew more than 7 million people. It argued that the protests were another example of a popular uprising spurred by an unpopular government, like when the Tea Party was formed in response to the Obama administration.
"After Obama’s landslide victory in 2008, Democrats deluded themselves with the idea that they could hold large majorities for years to come," the editorial board wrote. "They plowed ahead with unpopular laws that most of the country disliked — and were punished with a generational rebuke in the 2010 midterms. Trump and his supporters might consider whether they are making the same mistake ahead of 2026."
The editorial mentions actions that President Donald Trump's administration has taken, like organizing a government-wide crackdown on left-wing groups following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September. Trump has said that people who fund left-wing groups, like George Soros, deserve to be "put in jail."
Trump's Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has also described Kirk's death as a "domestic 9/11," and hinted that he would use his agency's powers to go after people who disagreed with Kirk.
The editorial notes that these actions appear to be linked to some actions taken by the Obama administration. For instance, it pointed to a 2013 audit that found Obama's Internal Revenue Service used "inappropriate political criteria" to go after conservative groups.
"Yet past failures don’t justify what is happening now," the editorial reads. "Speech and protest are safety valves for angry Americans to let off steam between elections. They’re also a warning for those in charge."