Over the weekend, a massive memorial in Glendale, Arizona reportedly drew close to 90,000 MAGA supporters. The spectacle quickly went viral online, with many observers noting it felt more like a Christian nationalist rally than a solemn remembrance. Donald Trump and several of his top allies took the stage, using the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk as a springboard for their political agenda.
When the crowd finally dispersed, the scene outside State Farm Stadium told its own story: mountains of trash left scattered across the grounds. Water bottles, plastic bags, and food containers were dumped everywhere, forcing cleanup crews to spend hours restoring order. Local news coverage pointed out that attendees weren’t allowed to carry all of their belongings inside the venue, which may have contributed to the mess — but the scale of the litter underscored the hypocrisy of a movement that preaches “personal responsibility” while leaving destruction in its wake.
Even progressive commentators piled on. Hosts of The Majority Report podcast mocked the spectacle, with Sam Seder remarking that leaving garbage behind at a memorial showed “disdain” rather than respect. Emma Vigeland added a biting jab, quipping that MAGA’s self-proclaimed “builders” had instead managed to build only “mountains of trash.”
In the grand scheme of America’s slide toward authoritarian politics, a pile of garbage might seem trivial. But it serves as a perfect snapshot of the MAGA ethos: sanctimonious rhetoric about faith and patriotism on the one hand, and reckless disregard for community and environment on the other.
About the Author
