'Rattled': Former Trump associate claims MAGA stalwarts are starting to falter
Lev Parnas, a former Donald Trump associate who served time for campaign finance violations, claimed in a new Substack article that the scales are falling from the eyes of MAGA stalwarts who aren't liking what they see the president doing to the country.
The biggest dissenter thus far, according to Parnas, is Elon Musk, who has turned on Trump like a viper just days after being ushered out of the White House with a gold commemorative key in thanks for his work on the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk eviscerated Trump's pride-and-joy -- the "big, beautiful bill" that has become the cornerstone of his second term.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore," Musk posted to his X account. "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
Not only is Musk now vowing to work against those Republicans who support the bill, he's refusing to take House Speaker Mike Johnson's phone calls to discuss the matter.
"I’ve seen how this works from the inside," Parnas wrote. "When loyalty turns to silence, and silence turns to defiance — it’s over. The myth of Trump’s control starts to collapse. But Elon is just the loudest crack. The truth is, Trump’s empire is fracturing on every front."
Parnas cited Trump's massive tariffs that are "backfiring hard" and causing "even longtime MAGA voters" to start "to grumble." He also noted Trump's abandonment of "America First" in favor of his own self-interest, and the discontent it's causing among MAGA influencers and lawmakers alike.
"I was on the inside. I watched the corruption grow. I watched the loyalty tests, the grift, the manipulation," Parnas wrote. "And I’m telling you now: the very foundation of Trump’s power — fear and obedience — is crumbling. Elon might be the first to break publicly, but he won’t be the last. There are lawmakers. There are donors. There are insiders. I promise you, they are rattled. And some of them are looking for a way out."