Convo w/ a real MAGA today

Today at work I had a brief convo with a diehard MAGA. Some background/context: I'm 55 (f); she's 75 (f). I'll call her Karol (name changed) just so that I can refer to her more easily.

I told Karol my concerns about the possible erosion of Medicare benefits, the rumored dissolution of Social Security, and our 401(k)s going down the shitter currently.

Karol has previously told me how bad her 401(k) did under Biden. Which, I gotta say WTF?!? She must have been invested completely wrong because everything was pretty much doing well. My stuff was averging 13% growth. We had a good economy with ol' Sleepy Joe -- we could sleep at night.

I told Karol aside from Trump being the horrible person he is, and that I accept that's who he is -- yes, I said that (I didn't call him a Nazi or racist/rapist or fake Christian), and that this administration is tearing everything apart, and much too rapidly at that.

I told Karol I do believe there is too much government in the way in general with it's beaurcracy (thank you Ezra Klein); I did NOT talk about Ezra Klein with her. BUT that the way the government is being dismantled is bonkers thanks to Musk.

As an aside:

in his podcast, Klein critiques how government processes, while often well-intentioned, can become so cumbersome that they prevent meaningful action. He emphasizes the need for reform that balances necessary regulation with functional efficiency.

Karol told me that she doesn't have to worry about Social Security (SS) because she's already paid into it for years. I reminded her that so have I since I've been working since age 16. She said that she deserves it and that her grandparents didn't get it, but she's owed hers, and that it's too bad it's running out of money for my generation and beyond.

Like, I too, who have paid into SS don't deserve it?!? WTF again. The whole concept of "I got mine and oh well, so sad for you" from this MAGA.

I told Karol this governmental dismantling is happening all too fast by someone who is not qualified -- Musk. Karol said things are getting blocked by judges and the Democrats and there's this back and forth because all the judges are Democrats. I told her, no, things are definitely getting done and fast; I reminded her that there's Trump (R), a Republican Congress, a Republican Senate, AND a Republican Supreme Court -- everything is Republican. She then again said all the judges blocking things are Democrats. I responded with, well I don't know because I haven't looked up all the political affiliations of "all the blocking judges".

Then she said the stock market, IRAs, 401(k)a have to go down to pay for the US deficit or else the whole country will be bankrupt and poor. Karol said it's going to go down a whole lot more, and that her remedy is to stop watching the news because "both sides are just so mean to each other". She suggested I stop watching the news, like her.

Is this the solution I'm missing?!?! /s ... that I need to turn away, and bury my head in the sand? Karol then reminded me she is "conservative". Um, OK, thanks Karol. I told her I'm actually moderate while having some liberal views.

It wasn't an ugly conversation. We didn't have time to delve into other issues.

Basically Trump/Musk is gutting the government and trashing the stock market so that "we" can pay off the national debt? I didn't get this message in his campaign speeches -- like I never heard a solid plan on how he would do this, and his tariffs alone won't truly make a dent in the debt.

Thoughts??????