EPISODE · Aug 14, 2026 · 27 MIN
The Future of MAGA
from Poll Hub · host Jay DeDapper, Mary Griffith, Lee Miringoff, Barbara Carvalho
As the 2026 midterms approach, we're taking on a defining question in American politics: is MAGA the same as Trump, and is Trump the same as the Republican Party? MAGA has become the party's public face, yet many of Trump's own voters don't consider themselves part of the movement. We examine whether that coalition can hold together with Trump off the ballot, what happened the last time his name wasn't on it, and why one party is heading into November noticeably more motivated to vote than the other. It may be the clearest test yet of whether MAGA is bigger than the man who built it. Then, we turn to criminal records. A person can be arrested, never convicted, and still carry a record for life, one that can affect their ability to find a job, rent a home, earn a professional license, or even vote. We look at how many Americans are living with a record, the rare bipartisan support for reforming how those records are used, and why, despite that agreement, so little has changed. We also examine how Americans view the prison system itself and why that view has held largely steady for a generation. And for our fun fact, we go back to 1950, when Gallup asked Americans a simple question: can you swim?
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What this episode covers
As the 2026 midterms approach, we're asking the question hanging over American politics: does MAGA = Trump = GOP? We dig into whether the movement can survive without Trump on the ballot, the enthusiasm gap opening up between the parties, and what the 2018 playbook tells us about November. Then, we look at criminal records. One in three American adults has one, and for millions, it came from an arrest that never led to a conviction. We explore the barriers that follow people into work, housing, and the voting booth, and why bipartisan majorities back reform even as the system stays the same. And our fun fact heads back to 1950, when Gallup asked Americans a simple question: can you swim?
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The Future of MAGA
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