# Why is calling Trump Supporters MAGAts allowed? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 31, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060 "2024-07-31T14:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/41 "2024-07-31T18:27:03Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > I’m not dying on this hill, but in 2016 MAGA-hats really was in use. I had to check. A Google search for maga-hats and MAGAts brings up no hits. That is to say, the two terms can be found in a single document, but only separately, without MAGAt being an abbreviation. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/42 "2024-07-31T18:28:29Z")
I’ve posted this before, but think it fits here: There is no large-scale equivalent to the kind of existential threat that the right _paints the left as being_. There is no equivalent to the smear that inherently exists in calling somebody (and I mean directly, not by implication) a pedophile. 2/3rds of the country directs their antipathy toward Donald J. Trump – a single person. Donald Trump, and – by proxy – his ardent followers direct their bile, hatred, and stochastic terrorism at the other 2/3rds of the country, in stereotypical cult fashion. Though our Courts confer a presumption of innocence, public opinion does not. When you call the other side monsters – Socialists, Communists, and Marxists who are a threat to your kids and your very existence – you have created a harm that basically cannot be undone. Was Maxine Waters out of line by suggesting a bullying campaign? Of course. Was Joe Biden calling half the country fascists? No. He used the term “semi-fascism” to describe a very specific and very narrow group of people for whom the actual term fits. Do we aim to be ‘better than’ those folks? Maybe. But I think it bears considering that the only reason we don’t see that bile and dehumanizing invective spewed endlessly here, and by the loyal Trump supporters, is because of the rules and the excellent enforcement by the tireless moderators. Beware the likely false equivalence… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/43 "2024-07-31T18:33:32Z")
Did you try “MAGA hats”? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/44 "2024-07-31T18:34:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I had to check. > > A Google search for maga-hats and MAGAts brings up no hits. December 2017 > [@ABC News shit the bed by publishing fake news on Friday. They know it too.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/73): > > > [@ABC News shit the bed by publishing fake news on Friday. They know it too.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/69): > > > > Perhaps “Trumpists” would be better? > > > [@ABC News shit the bed by publishing fake news on Friday. They know it too.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/72): > > > > I like “Trumpeteers”, really fits the childishness. They wear MAGA hats instead of mouse ears. > > MAGAts. > [@ABC News shit the bed by publishing fake news on Friday. They know it too.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/74): > > That’s perfect. I am amazed I have not seen it before. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/45 "2024-07-31T18:40:50Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > > [@Akaj](#): > > > > It’s actually a mild disparagement > > Which is perfectly mainstream in political discourse, and wouldn’t turn heads in a left-leaning audience. However if you know you’re talking to a Trump supporter who identifies with MAGA, that could possibly be different. Especially if you’re coming across with an attitude of ‘you are “despicable, stupid and disgusting”’. Even in politics, where disparaging opposing parties and ideologies is often fair game, personal insults are not considered “civil discourse” and are still perceived as disrespectful. > > ~Max Well, yeah. There’s a big difference between referring to a group of people from the safety of a left-leaning message board and speaking to an individual human being in person. That said, if someone were to call me face-to-face what MAGAts typically say on social media about Democrats, I would have no problem calling them a despicable, stupid and disgusting maggot. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/46 "2024-07-31T18:53:02Z")
My question was about the board rules, that was answered in post #2. It’s allowed with a clear explanation as to why. So all good there and probably end of this thread. The rest is just Why is it allowed, or broader, why are people fine with doing it? Happy to continue this conversation here or elsewhere. I think MAGAt is objectively dehumanizing. I didn’t initially think that so strongly until I looked at the definition (which there are many). But essentially referring to people as less than human, a maggot, is dehumanizing them. I think calling them out for their beliefs and actions, even using derogatory language to do so (fucking idiots, etc), is fine and not dehumanizing. I don’t think dehumanizing them is ok (_a specific subset of derogatory language I think_). My personal line I guess. Others disagree and I respect that. Appreciate all the responses. Late: _just realized I misspelled supporters in the topic. What else have I missed…_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/47 "2024-07-31T19:05:21Z")
I didn’t get the “maggot” thing until just now, but I find derisive political nicknames incredibly tiring, particularly the way every third poster here has their own pet nickname for Trump. And I do mean tiring in a literal sense; it’s a constant low-grade effort to parse one hundred terms for the same thing over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/48 "2024-07-31T19:15:43Z")
Maggots are useful. MAGAts are not. Maybe we should not disparage the half of that equation that actually brings a real, tangible benefit to society by associating then with the other half… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/49 "2024-07-31T19:18:43Z")
MAGAts is not so bad, but I dont like things like “Orange shit gibbon” or “couch fucker”. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/50 "2024-07-31T19:20:53Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Did you try “MAGA hats”? Your search - _“maga hats” +MAGAts_ - did not match any documents. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/51 "2024-07-31T19:25:24Z")
If Turek is apparently inventing a term that nobody had heard of in 2017, that’s not much evidence it was widely used in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/52 "2024-07-31T19:36:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > but I find derisive political nicknames incredibly tiring, particularly the way every third poster here has their own pet nickname for Trump. Agreed. It’s become such a strained brand of semi-clever, regardless of which side is doing it. I’m guilty of “MAGAt”, so I’ll be trying to eliminate that from my own commentary. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/53 "2024-07-31T19:40:40Z")
I seem to recall the brief Maga-hat era. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/54 "2024-07-31T20:00:58Z")
My results are notably different. “No results” is downright strange. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/55 "2024-07-31T20:25:05Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > I think calling them out for their beliefs and actions, even using derogatory language to do so (fucking idiots, etc), is fine and not dehumanizing. I don’t think dehumanizing them is ok (_a specific subset of derogatory language I think_). Unfortunately, the term “traitorous fucking morons” is not acceptable in polite company, and referring to them as “deluded followers of a cult of personality” doesn’t really capture just how hate-filled and dangerous their obsession with blatantly fabricated propaganda is. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/56 "2024-07-31T20:27:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I didn’t get the “maggot” thing until just now, but I find derisive political nicknames incredibly tiring, particularly the way every third poster here has their own pet nickname for Trump. If I could make one rule for this board, it’d be that. No derisive political nicknames for any person or group. They’re not original, they’re not funny, they’d be banned if they were about anything else about a person or group, and it often makes the people on and running this board to be a bunch of hypocrites. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/57 "2024-07-31T20:53:43Z")
Well, post them then. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/58 "2024-08-01T01:26:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Where’s the slap my head emoji? You and me both, friend. Must be a Chicago thing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/59 "2024-08-01T01:33:14Z")
🤦‍♂️ 🤦 🤦‍♀️ When you need “slap my head” use one of those. (They are all “facepalming” emojis.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060/60 "2024-08-01T01:43:20Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > When you need “slap my head” use one of those. Or this gif: ![](https://media4.giphy.com/media/WrNfErHio7ZAc/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952wsqjnwm59xn0a9jy6ctjogh00zr4ruusfnmifj2m&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-calling-trump-supporters-magats-allowed/1005060.md?page=4)