Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign promised everything his base wanted: mass deportations, a vow to avoid new wars, and the kind of chest-thumping rhetoric that electrified his supporters.
But now, midway through his second term, cracks are forming in MAGA’s once-airtight loyalty. The diehards aren’t all leaving, but several notable faces are backing away, questioning whether their one-time political messiah has strayed from the gospel.
While Donald Trump still controls loyalists like Karoline Leavitt and Lauren Boebert, the defections are here to stay!
Former allies, conservative firebrands, and even billionaires who once couldn’t get enough of him are now carving out distance, each with their own breaking point. From Mike Pence’s frosty jabs to Elon Musk’s new political vanity project, here’s a look at the MAGA faithful who’ve started to drift.
1) Mike Pence Was Already Out the Door
The Trump–Pence split was written in the history books the moment January 6, 2021, turned violent. As rioters roamed the Capitol chanting Pence’s name with chilling intent, the trust between the president and his vice president evaporated.
Pence kept his distance after leaving office, but 2025 brought sharper barbs.
In a May sit-down with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Pence didn’t hold back on Donald Trump’s self-obsession. He’s been making the rounds on NBC and CBS (conspicuously avoiding Fox News), leaning into outlets that the 79-year-old president publicly loathes.
It’s not a full-on crusade, but it’s far from the dutiful silence he once kept.
2) Marjorie Taylor Greene Isn’t Buying “No More Wars”
Marjorie Taylor Greene has been one of Trump’s loudest cheerleaders and occasionally his most embarrassing. But when the second-term Donald Trump White House orchestrated airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, she broke ranks.
Taking to X, Greene blasted the move as a betrayal of his “NO MORE FOREIGN WARS” promise. While she’s still close with Vice President JD Vance, her public irritation signals that even some of Trump’s most flamboyant allies are willing to push back.
3) Joe Rogan Has Had Enough of the Deportation Blitz
BREAKING: In a stunning moment, podcaster and Trump supporter Joe Rogan comes out against the slipshod fashion in which ICE is rounding up people who are NOT gang members, without due process, calling it “horrific.”
They’ve lost Joe Rogan.pic.twitter.com/GqyPCmgIGu
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) April 1, 2025
Joe Rogan’s flirtation with MAGA peaked when he hosted Trump on his podcast and showed up at the 2025 inauguration. But Trump’s aggressive mass deportation campaign soured the romance quickly.
By April, Rogan was openly criticizing the lack of due process in ICE raids. In June, after violence erupted in Los Angeles during an operation, he doubled down, calling Donald Trump’s approach an “overcorrection.”
For a man who built a brand on contrarian takes, publicly breaking with Trump’s immigration stance is no small move.
4) Dan Bongino’s Epstein Frustration Boils Over
Dan Bongino went from Fox News firebrand to Trump’s deputy FBI director with expectations that Epstein-related secrets might finally come to light. However, NPR reports that Trump’s handling of “The Epstein Files” has been lackluster at best.
By July, Bongino was threatening to quit, forcing Donald Trump to smooth things over with a CNN soundbite calling him “a very good guy.” Whether Bongino’s loyalty lasts may depend on whether Trump delivers. Or keeps stalling.
5) Elon Musk’s “America Party” Is Born Out of Spite
Elon Musk formally launching The America Party on July 4, with the explicit aim of ending the rule of his enemy Trump, would be the biggest political news of this century— Earth’s Richest Man versus Earth’s Most Powerful Man—and U.S. media not covering it proves we have no media. pic.twitter.com/lQQFoh7av8
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) July 3, 2025
Once a bromance for the ages, the Trump–Musk alliance crumbled over the president’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Musk left his government post, started trolling Donald Trump online, and floated the idea of launching a new “America Party” via a poll on X.
According to the BBC, there’s no official filing yet, but the posturing is enough to keep tensions high. With midterms on the horizon, Elon Musk’s political meddling could become more than just a Twitter stunt.
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