A little over a year ago, a new class of Trump supporters arrived in Washington to celebrate the dawn of the president’s second term. They were fashion-conscious, politically incorrect and ready to party. They were heralds of a youthful MAGA coalition that was supposed to be more fun than the young fogies of the old right and the uptight killjoys of the contemporary left.

To his enthusiastic young loyalists, Trump’s narrow yet decisive victory in 2024 marked a cultural realignment that rejected the liberal agenda in favor of something ostensibly cooler: freedom and hedonism, checked only by the (very much desired) encumbrances of traditional family values. . . .

“We were cool for 2½ minutes — that time has passed,” says Arynne Wexler, 32, a commentator and comedian who had been among those announcing the vibe shift last year.

Some might argue that the moment of MAGA cool lasted longer than that. Others might insist that it was overhyped from the start. But just over a year into its supposed run of cultural predominance, MAGA has arguably entered its cringe era.