Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams and political commentator Ezra Klein recently discussed President Donald Trump’s influence over the MAGA movement on Abrams’ podcast, characterizing it as resembling a religious force with what they described as a “mystical power.”
The conversation drew swift attention online, fueling debate over how Trump’s authority is understood and interpreted by his supporters. Klein explained, “Donald Trump’s impulses have become nearly religious emanations from a figure viewed within his own coalition as … mystic, having come back through the court cases and the assassination attempts.”
Klein suggested that Trump’s influence extends beyond traditional political authority, with some supporters viewing him more as a spiritual figure than a president. Abrams built on the point, questioning whether elections alone could dislodge Trump from power if he were regarded in the role of a “grand ayatollah.”
“If it is true that he’s a grand ayatollah, that mystical power extends and can be—you know—he can anoint his, you know, his prophets and he can remain in power even if he doesn’t hold the title of president,” she said, adding that if that’s the case, elections would offer only limited solutions.
“If that’s the case, then there’s no relief from this that is achieved by election. Especially if we are truly in an authoritarian regime where elections are not real,” Abrams stated. She cited recent redistricting efforts in Texas and political strategies in California as examples of the shifting influence between red and blue states.
Abrams has been a consistent critic of President Donald Trump’s policies, especially on immigration and federal law enforcement. She has denounced the administration’s deportation initiatives, arguing they disproportionately target vulnerable communities and rely on fear-based tactics.
She has also opposed federal interventions in Democratic-led cities, describing them as overreach that undermines local authority and civil liberties.
These long-standing positions provide context for her recent podcast remarks about Trump’s “mystical power” over the MAGA movement. The episode aired as Trump continues to assert himself on multiple fronts, including his recent actions in Washington, D.C., where he temporarily placed the Metropolitan Police Department under federal oversight and mobilized National Guard units in response to violent crime.
