In the days following the publication of an editorial titled “Accountability for Chaos: A movement built on cruelty faces a reckoning as regret finds no sympathy,” a Reddit thread in the political commentary forum was flooded with hundreds of user reactions.
Nearly all the posts echoed with a single message: there would be no grace for those Americans now disillusioned with the political movement they once cheered.
The opinion piece, which was written by Mitchell A. Sobieski for Milwaukee Independent, asserted that the MAGA movement was animated not by policy but by cruelty. And it struck a raw nerve with the public.
In response, commenters delivered a blistering collective verdict. Not just on Trump supporters voicing newfound regret, but on the notion that they deserve reconciliation without accountability.
“Those who set the world aflame cannot credibly seek comfort from the very people they tried to destroy. Sympathy is nonexistent, empathy is spent, and the wreckage remains.”
That line, a direct excerpt from the editorial, became a rallying cry throughout the online discussion.
“I have no empathy for these folks anymore. I just don’t. Anyone with half a brain knew that mass deportations would devastate farmers and tariffs would increase prices, that cutting Medicaid would hurt rural areas the most, that Trump was never going to release the Epstein files in which he has a starring role, and that “owning the libs” would be more of a self own. MAGAs voted for it and now I’m perfectly happy (nay, overjoyed) to see them get what they asked for.” – Ok_State_1863
Upvoted thousands of times, it was repeatedly quoted by users as a final, uncompromising summation of a mood that has hardened over years of perceived abuse, betrayal, and political antagonism.
“I just can’t willingly let someone back into my life after they spent a decade-plus (because it does go back farther than the orange pedo’s reign; in said family members’ case, they were all aboard the tea party train) cruelly mocking those affected by destructive policies, dismissing rational concerns and blatant red flags, and voting for this creep and his enablers mostly to “own the libs.” After all they’ve said and done, I can’t claim moral superiority and forgive them, because what they’ve done is unforgivable, and I can go to my grave knowing that my life drastically improved without them in it.” – CrunkleStan
That sentiment, deeply personal and often tied to family estrangement, was among the most common themes. Dozens of users described cutting off longtime friends or relatives over what they viewed as not merely political differences, but moral failure.
I almost cried reading this article. It’s everything I’ve felt since November. Before then, I think MAGA’s support was forgivable. Now, not a day goes by where I think, ‘Yeah, I can forgive this.’ Especially when they aren’t asking for it. So yeah, f*ck these monsters.” – MisteeLoo
Other users rejected the idea that regret itself should earn sympathy, pointing instead to what they described as gleeful cruelty over the past decade, by cheering family separation, mocking the vulnerable, and dismissing calls for restraint.
“Remember, they all screamed ‘f*ck your feelings’ when they won … Now that they understand that they openly supported a fraudulent pedophile, let’s not forget what they screamed a while back when they won.” – Barack_Odrama_007
“Remember: These are the people that treated us like gum on the bottom of their shoe. Like a human punching bag. Taking out all their hate and anger on us. We tried begging them, reasoning with them, offering them grace time and time again. We gave them way more chances than they deserved. They refused it. They didn’t listen. They didn’t care. They double, triple, quadruple-downed on their hate and ignorance. Never forget that. If you have a family member, friend, or acquaintance that is begging you to help them or begging you to let them back into your life. Remember how they made you feel in your most vulnerable moments. What did they say? What was their reaction? Laughter? Doubling down? Mocking? Horrible rhetoric? Maybe you are trans or gay or lesbian. Or you have friends that are. Remember all the horrible things they said about you or your friends. They called you the Devil. Baby killers. You just wanted access to abortion and for women to have freedoms over their body. They said you were going to Hell. They said horrible things about immigrants and minorities. Now they’re asking for help?! Don’t help them. Ignore them. It’s better for your mental and physical health.” – DropPowerful9081
Such reactions extended beyond individual betrayals to what many users saw as institutional hypocrisy, especially among evangelical churches that aligned with Trump. Commenters cited abandonment of Christian values in pursuit of power, with several referencing Bible verses in condemnation.
“They had a choice between the morality and values they claimed to uphold and secular political
power, and they sacrificed the former upon the altar of the latter. They have lost whatever credibility in American society they once had, and if MAGA/Trumpism is eventually rejected by Americans, they will lose their political power as well.” – TurboSalsa
Echoing a historical parallel invoked in the original editorial, one quote shared by user HarryStylesAMA became another axis of discussion. Originally penned by A.R. Moxon, the reflection compared apologists for authoritarianism to those who enabled past atrocities:
“Historians have a word for Germans who joined the Nazi party, not because they hated Jews, but out of a hope for restored patriotism, or a sense of economic anxiety, or a hope to preserve their religious values, or dislike of their opponents, or raw political opportunism, or convenience, or ignorance, or greed. That word is “Nazi.” Nobody cares about their motives anymore. They joined what they joined. They lent their support and their moral approval. And, in so doing, they bound themselves to everything that came after. Who cares anymore what particular knot they used in the binding?” – A.R. Moxon
The post was among the most upvoted in the thread. It was repeated throughout the public conversation as an unflinching rebuttal to pleas for understanding.
Some users focused on the dissonance between past MAGA defiance and current attempts at retreat. One noted a conspicuous shift in social media behavior.
“The eerie silence of formerly full-throated MAGA on social media has been odd. This pertains to two I’ve kept on my radar simply for fact gathering. They are now posting about charitable fundraisers for people with illness, posting scripture quotes, or simply sharing and talking about cute animal videos. Seems they want to Homer Simpson ‘fade into the bushes’ gif their way out of this.” – hollygolightly8998
For many in the thread, that retreat was not just unconvincing, it was offensive.
“They call empathy a sin. Okay, well then, none for You.” – Loisalene
“They weren’t conned. They weren’t mislead. They weren’t stupid. That’s the oldest GOP lie in the book and they’ve been using it since Nixon. They. Are. Lying. Just like every psychopath, sociopath and narcissist does.” – Cultural-Answer-321
The conversation also underscored how the movement’s cruelty had a lasting impact on belief in American institutions. Some described their perception of the U.S. as permanently changed, with one writing, “The America I thought existed was an absolute fantasy. That I ever believed most Americans were good people was pure privilege.”
Still others placed blame on enablers beyond MAGA voters — including Democrats, the Supreme Court, and mainstream media outlets that they believed failed to challenge the rise of Trumpism effectively.
“There is no coming back from this. They will not admit they were wrong and will lash out violently at anyone that tries to bring up things they said that contradict them. How can we possibly work with people like that? People who are willing to sell everything and anything out just to ‘own the libs?’ How can we work with people that want people to be put in concentration camps all because they might have come into the country illegally?” – Haz3rd
The comment thread, which attracted hundreds of responses and thousands of upvotes in under 48 hours, evolved into a public testimonial archive. It became a place where users validated one another’s pain, reinforced a shared sense of betrayal, and forcefully rejected any narrative of reconciliation without repair.
The idea that forgiveness should be withheld until tangible accountability occured was repeated with near-unanimous agreement. As one user put it, “You want my forgiveness? Pick up a sign and join the protests,” insisting that remorse must be demonstrated through public contrition, not whispered regrets.
Others drew parallels to previous historical failures to hold harmful movements accountable, suggesting that if MAGA is allowed to rebrand or quietly retreat, it will return more dangerous than before.
“If the amount of former Nazis that were allowed back into the West German government is anything to go by. Nope, at best they’ll quite down. Maybe say “sowwy” but in reality things will be forgiven and ‘moving on, together’ will be pushed. There will be as there is now, no accountability.” – general_bonesteel
That suspicion of future whitewashing extended to concerns that MAGA adherents would merely find a more “acceptable” avatar to continue their agenda.
“Too many MAGA will still cling to the movement and will just seek out another rebrand of Trump in a different, more acceptable package. They’ll still hate immigrants, they’ll still blame democrats for everything, and they’ll still accept authoritarianism as long as it hurts others more. I’ll enjoy Trump’s downfall, but he’s just a symptom of some deep rot. They may fly the flag, yell America first, and say they support the Constitution, but those “values” all tipped over because they placed Trump over country. And without true, core values, and support for
institutions and democracy, there will never be meaningful change. And for them, and the rest of us stuck on this ride of their choosing, the worst, as horrifying as our country is now, the worst is still to come.” – Slr_Pnls50
While much of the commentary brimmed with anger, some commenters expressed unease about what this rage had done to them personally.
“I really hate what this entire ordeal has done to my humanity.” – WintersChild79
Others echoed a similar emotional toll. Not just from MAGA, but from the act of hardening themselves against empathy. One of the few notes of conditional grace expressed sympathy for those with genuine regret, but still found their motivations lacking.
“I have sympathy for genuine regret, but being pissed you’re not getting what you wanted (or getting what you wanted and whining it’s not working out for you) isn’t regret. None of these MAGA hat burners feel guilt for their racism, homophobia, misogyny, and cruelty. They don’t regret their evil, they just regret picking an incompetent leader to carry out their evil wishes.” – JuliaX1984
That distinction, between remorse for harm done and frustration over personal consequences, became a fault line. For many users, the regret that emerged only when harm rebounded was not seen as sincere. Nor were the pleas for the comfort they denied to others.
“You voted for family separation, you just never imagined it’d be YOUR family separating from YOU, redhat.” – athenaprime
In that light, commenters viewed forgiveness not just as premature, but dangerous. Several warned that any return to politeness would enable a new wave of cruelty once political conditions shifted.
“If I see anyone being nice about this to republicans, it’s game on. F*ck that. We stomp and we stomp hard. We CANNOT allow this to just regrow and fester and pretend like they didn’t base their entire personalities on being cruel in emulation of one of the most sadistic, felonious pedophiles on the planet. We will not be abiding by any of that horrific nonsense, not this time. They don’t get to quietly take down their Trump flags, not after waving them for a f*cking decade in our faces.” – osirisattis
Others described acts of deliberate disengagement, which included refusing to shop at MAGA-aligned businesses, cutting off family members, and redirecting donations exclusively to communities harmed by the movement.
“I personally will go out of my way, within the law, to make any MAGA lives I encounter more miserable if I am given the chance. FOREVER.” – jc2pointzero
That unapologetic stance may seem extreme to some, but it reflects a growing refusal to forget the consequences of the Trump era, especially among those who say they bore the brunt of its cruelty. LGBTQ+ users, immigrants, and people of color recounted abuse, harassment, and threats they endured while MAGA supporters cheered.
“I cannot emphasise enough how much I genuinely want bad outcomes for these people. They celebrated the pain and misery they inflicted. A lot of it was permanent, and ALL of it was intentional. F*ck ’em, may they spend their last years experiencing the horror they revelled in.” – ycnz
Even those who expressed nostalgia for a more civil America acknowledged that reconciliation now felt impossible.
“I agree with this 100%. I feel deceived by American “exceptionalism.” I always knew we were not a perfect nation, but believed Americans were good people and believed in the pursuit of a more perfect union. I was fooled into believing all people were created equal, liberty and justice were for all, and Americans stood up against bullies and stood up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. It’s all bullshit to a large portion of this country. Far too many people were given permission to be deplorable and reveled in it. Far too many people say they love freedom, but hate the way others practice freedom when it is different. The fact that these people claim to own patriotism makes me sick. I just retired after 30 years of military service and I can’t stand these phonies who claim that anyone who isn’t MAGA hates America.” – JustAnotherHooyah
Few commenters saw a path forward. Some advocated for a so-called “national divorce,” believing the cultural and political rift too vast to repair. Others suggested the only possible healing would come from a generational shift, if at all.
“This needs to leave a scar in their cultural memory so deep that their distant descendants will feel revulsion at even the mention of a red hat.” – Ambitious-Raise8107
The Reddit thread functioned beyond just a space for commentary. It is a collective memory bank that has catalogued hundreds of grievances, while asserting dignity, and issuing a final refusal to be gaslit into softening how they should feel.
For those who opposed Trump from the beginning, the damage has been deep and ongoing. But now, as some MAGA supporters murmur regret, critics are holding the line.
“I’m reminded of a lyric from Rush’s ‘Show Don’t Tell’. You can twist perceptions. But reality won’t budge.” – Aspect58
The editorial Accountability for Chaos, and the Reddit firestorm it provoked, show how many Americans believe that for once, reality must be allowed to run its course. Without shortcuts. Without erasure. And without sympathy.
© Photo
PJ McDonnell and Rapit Design (via Shutterstock)
