Leave The Light On: The Road Out of MAGA

How One Man Found His Way Back—and Helps Others Do the Same

Rich Logis spent years as a fervent supporter of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. He broke bread with fellow believers, attended rallies, and dedicated himself to what he saw as a noble cause. But over time, doubt crept in. Today, he’s the founder of Leaving MAGA, an organization that helps others disentangle themselves from the movement’s grasp. His story is a testament to the power of critical thinking, self-reflection, and the struggle to reclaim one's life after political extremism.

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A Family Lost to MAGA

“My fellow MAGA compatriots were my second family,” Logis admitted. “Sometimes, they even took precedence over my own blood family.” The movement was more than politics for him—it was identity, community, and purpose. But it also took its toll. His activism strained his marriage and consumed his life. The irony, he said, is that while he thought he was fighting tyranny, he had become a tyrant in his own home.

His journey out of MAGA wasn’t sudden. It was, as he described it, a battle between the heart and the mind—a gradual unraveling of belief, punctuated by moments of clarity. He was disturbed by the Republican Party’s defense of the January 6th insurrection and repelled by Ron DeSantis’ embrace of anti-vaccine rhetoric. Slowly, he expanded his news sources, realizing how deeply he had been misled.

A Moment of Reckoning

One moment stands out in Logis’ journey: the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.

“I was driving with an AR-15 on my passenger seat,” he recalled. “I had an appointment to sell it, even before Uvalde. And as I listened to the horror unfolding on the radio, I knew—I was done.”

He left MAGA privately at first, telling only his wife and two close friends. One never spoke to him again. But even after walking away, he felt an obligation to go public. “I had been so unapologetically public in my support of MAGA,” he said. “I needed to be just as public in my renunciation.”

So, on August 30, 2022, he published a heartfelt mea culpa. He expected no reaction. Instead, he was inundated with messages. Rich, please talk to my mother. My brother. My father. My best friend. It was then he realized: MAGA had torn apart families, and there were many people desperate to bridge the divide.

The Myths That Hold MAGA Together

Logis believes that MAGA isn’t an ideology—it’s a collection of myths that provide an easy scapegoat for life’s struggles. The most powerful of these myths, he argues, is the idea that capitalism guarantees personal financial prosperity. “People believe that if they’re struggling, someone must be sabotaging their success—immigrants, Black and brown people, women, liberals,” he said. “But the truth is, it’s capitalism itself that creates winners and losers.”

That myth, he argues, is why MAGA supporters can hold contradictory beliefs. They can admire a billionaire like Elon Musk while railing against ‘global elites.’ They can decry ‘welfare’ while demanding government assistance for their own businesses. They can blame liberals for their hardships while the ultra-wealthy they support rig the system against them.

The Hardest Part: Leaving Without a New Home

Leaving MAGA isn’t just about changing political beliefs. It’s about walking away from an entire ecosystem—friends, social circles, a sense of belonging. Logis compares it to the end of The Truman Show, when Jim Carrey’s character must decide between the comforting lie of a controlled world and the terrifying unknown of real life.

“For a year, I was in heaven and hell,” Logis said. “I felt free, but I also felt completely lost.”

That’s why he founded Leaving MAGA—to give people a community to walk toward, rather than just an ideology to walk away from. The organization provides testimonials, workshops, and personal support for those questioning their allegiance to Trumpism. The goal? To offer an off-ramp before it’s too late.

Hope in the Face of Regret

One thing Logis has noticed recently: those reaching out to him now carry a deeper sense of regret. They are seeing the consequences of Trumpism play out in real time—immigrant families being torn apart, tariffs devastating businesses, gun violence continuing unabated. Many never thought these policies would actually affect them.

But there’s one thing Logis won’t do: say, “I told you so.”

“If we want people to leave MAGA, we have to keep the light on for them,” he said. “If we mock them, they’ll dig in. If we offer a place to land, they might just take it.”

For those with MAGA-supporting family members, Logis offers this advice: resist the urge to argue every point. Instead, ask questions. Where did you hear that? Why do you believe that? Help them see the cracks for themselves. And most importantly, don’t give up on them.

As for Logis, he’s more hopeful than ever. Leaving MAGA has never been busier. More people are waking up. And with every new member, he sees proof that redemption is possible.

“You don’t have to agree with someone’s reasons for supporting Trump,” he said. “But if you take the time to understand them, you might help them find a way out.”

For more information on Leaving MAGA, visit LeavingMAGA.org.

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