For years, this column dwelt on conservatism, fascism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism – the multi-syllabic schools of thought that attempt to explain American politics today. But I no longer discuss them in depth, because I have reached a conclusion.

Placing highfalutin concepts in the same breath as Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, Scott Bessent, Stephen Miller and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. simply does not fit. These are small men, the argument goes, who are trying to make nearly everyone in America smaller, meaner, sicker and poorer. The words used to describe them should be equally small: Kennedy is a pervert; Miller is a jerk; Bessent is a snob; Hegseth is a bully; and Trump is a criminal. One could call it the politics of authoritarianism, but one could just as well call it the politics of liars, cheats and thieves.

I choose the latter.

Some will say this is mere name-calling. I do not think so. It is a verifiable representation of reality. Others will say it fails to persuade anyone who does not already agree. I do not think that is right either. If we want to defeat MAGA, we must do more than defeat the Republicans in November – when the midterm elections will decide control of the House and Senate. We must entirely discredit MAGA as an idea. That means going for the jugular.

The president and his men promised to make America great again, yet America is worse in every way. Why? Because this is the best that whiteness can do.

At the G20 Summit on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that voters who favor "socialism here in the US" are "over-educated and under-earning." He said: "These are underachievers who are jealous of those who want to go and work every day." (See Bessent's remarks on Bluesky and on YouTube.) Bessent, a former hedge fund manager confirmed as Treasury Secretary in January 2025, is the highest-ranking economic official in the administration, which gives his characterization of Democratic-leaning voters unusual prominence.

That charge rings hollow, because the goal of MAGA, in this view, is the perpetuation of a gigantic government-funded welfare program for mediocre white men. They are the real underachievers – not college-educated young people struggling to launch their careers. These men complain about affirmative action and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) – an effort the Trump administration has rolled back across the federal government and pressed private institutions to abandon – but their real complaint is competing for wealth and status with people they believe are inferior to them, namely women and minorities. Their cause sounds just, but it is the opposite. They are too lazy to work hard, too cowardly to speak truthfully, and too average to distinguish themselves.

Bessent complains about socialism, yet the white-power order is itself totally socialist, the argument continues. It is the society-level organization of money, status and resources aimed at the exclusive use, privilege and benefit of white men. Justice and decency are socialized too: white men are given endless benefit of the doubt, even after acting horribly toward women and minorities, even after raping, robbing and murdering them. There is always something or someone else to blame for their choices. When Bessent accuses the Democrats of "socialism," it is projection.

Republicans are often compared to a big club, because whiteness is The Club. A white man's skin color covers a multitude of sins and deficiencies, such that he need not really know anything about a given subject in order to be put in charge of it. Indeed, actually knowing something might be a liability, as expertise suggests accountability – which could clash with the main point of club membership: freedom from consequences.

This is why Americans who believe in learning and self-improvement, in hard work, fairness and determination, and in trying to live a righteous life – for yourself, your family and your community – are fundamentally threatening. The Club lauds merit, but merit is dangerous. The Club venerates character, but character is destructive. The Club celebrates morality, but morality is risky. Merit, character and morality are detribalizing, which makes them enemies of the tribe. The Club does not want men of honor and integrity. You can be a pervert, a jerk, a snob, a bully or a criminal – no problem, as long as you are also weak and obedient, and never break the first rule of whiteness: no one talks about whiteness.

The last election was determined in part by men being drawn to the so-called masculinity of MAGA (AP News reported on young men's role in the outcome). The irony, therefore, is that MAGA's greatest threat might be found in righteous men who benefit from whiteness but also feel contempt for the liars, cheats and thieves whom whiteness unfairly turns into "winners" – men who believe in and act with integrity and brotherhood, who are determined to make something of themselves, and who are masculine in ways that lead, serve and enable others to hold them accountable. (Newsweek has reported on Trump's approval rating among men falling to a record low.) That erosion matters politically: if the same male voters who swung toward Trump in 2024 continue to sour on him, the coalition that delivered the presidency could become a liability for Republicans heading into the midterms.

In other words, for MAGA, the call might be coming from inside the house.

Whiteness is everything right now – the Congress, the presidency, the Supreme Court, the media, the universities, the law firms, the tech platforms. Every level of power is controlled by The Club, and yet everything is terrible for everyone except the obscenely rich. White men put their hopes and dreams on the line for whiteness, yet the inflation, the war, the lawlessness and corruption, the chaos and disorder – this is it. This is the best that whiteness can do.

MAGA was a lie told by losers for losers, the column concludes, and should be treated as such rather than dressed up in fancy names like authoritarianism – labels that chase away those who need to hear about its deceptions while flattering those who profit from it.

Kennedy is a pervert; Miller is a jerk; Bessent is a snob; Hegseth is a bully; Trump is a criminal.

Small words for small men.