Remember when Eminem tried to snap MAGA back to reality years ago? An old video of the rapper dissecting the baffling loyalty to Donald Trump is going viral again, proving some truths just don’t age. Why do his words still resonate so deeply today?
The enduring power of Eminem’s 2017 critique against Donald Trump and the MAGA movement has resurfaced in a viral video, sparking renewed discussion on its profound political commentary and continued relevance today.
In December 2017, just a year into Trump’s first term, the rapper, whose legal name is Marshall Mathers, shared his unvarnished thoughts with Complex magazine. Initially hesitant, Eminem eventually articulated a deeply insightful analysis of the perplexing loyalty observed among some Americans toward the former reality TV star.
Central to his political commentary was the observation that Donald Trump skillfully played to a base that believed he genuinely cared for them, despite Eminem asserting they were the people Trump cared about the least. He highlighted the stark incongruity of middle-class Americans relating to a billionaire who had never experienced hardship in his life, a core aspect of his celebrity opinion.
The artist did not shy away from specific examples, noting Trump’s draft deferment due to “bone spurs” and questioning how such a figure could be seen as a champion for the working class. Eminem further pointed to tax breaks that primarily benefited the wealthy, arguing they offered little advantage to average citizens, reinforcing his pointed political commentary.
At the time, Eminem expressed a glimmer of hope, envisioning the MAGA base eventually becoming “woke” to the reality of the situation and shrinking. However, the subsequent re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 underscored the persistent “cognitive dissonance” among his supporters, making the old viral video even more poignant.
This very persistence is precisely why the viral video clip has gained traction on platforms like X, Reddit, and Facebook recently. Social media users widely echoed Eminem’s sentiments, sharing frustrations over other public figures who remain silent, and praising the rapper’s fearless celebrity opinion and truth-telling.
The 2017 interview was not an isolated incident; Eminem has maintained a consistent anti-Trump stance throughout the years. From introducing Barack Obama at a rally for Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential run to his 2018 Billboard comments and a Secret Service interview over “threatening lyrics,” his political commentary has been unwavering.
Returning to his 2017 remarks, Eminem delved into his theory that Donald Trump maintained the loyalty of his MAGA base by “brainwashing them into thinking that something great is gonna happen.” He cautioned that without critical thought and fact-checking, people might easily believe Trump, who, in Eminem’s view, “bends reality to whatever suits him the best.”
Years later, as the political landscape continues to evolve, Eminem’s early and brutal political commentary regarding Donald Trump and the MAGA movement remains acutely relevant. The resurfacing of his unfiltered celebrity opinion serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring questions surrounding political loyalty and the perception of leadership.
