When people break with MAGA, most of them walk away and don't look back, whether out of shame or fear or both. So it's a rare thing to talk with someone willing to describe publicly why they joined the Trump movement, what life was like on the inside, and the reasons they left — but it's just such a conversation we have for you today, with writer and former New Right firebrand Pedro L. Gonzales. Enjoy. 
Sources:
Pedro L. Gonzalez, "<a href="https://www.readcontra.com/p/the-right-lost-the-culture-war-and" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Right Lost the Culture War, and America</a>," Contra, Feb 16, 2026
— "<a href="https://www.readcontra.com/p/trump-demands-the-worst-of-us" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trump Demands the Worst of Us</a>," Contra, Feb 8, 2026
— "<a href="https://www.readcontra.com/p/why-the-new-right-cant-quit-conspiracy" rel="noopener noreferrer">Why the New Right Can’t Quit Conspiracy Theories</a>," Contra, Dec 18, 2025
— "<a href="https://www.readcontra.com/p/welcome-to-hell" rel="noopener noreferrer">Welcome to Hell</a>," Contra, Dec 10, 2025
— "<a href="https://www.readcontra.com/p/gen-zs-flight-from-trump" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gen Z’s Flight From Trump</a>," Contra, July 24, 2025
James Burnham, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-machiavellians-defenders-of-freedom-james-burnham/b256b5b8271b1d3c" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Machiavellians</a>, (1943) 
Sam Francis, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Losers-Failure-American-Conservatism/dp/0826209769" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beautiful Losers</a>, (1993) 
Michael Anton, "<a href="https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/digital/the-flight-93-election/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Flight 93 Election</a>," Claremont Review of Books, Sept 5, 2017. 
Matthew Doyle, "<a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/06/27/exclusive-rising-conservative-influencer-pedro-gonzalez-regularly-espoused-racist-and-anti-semitic-sentiments-in-private-messages/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rising Conservative Influencer Pedro Gonzalez Regularly Espoused Racist and Anti-Semitic Sentiments in Private Messages</a>," Breitbart, June 27, 2023
...and don't forget to subscribe to <a href="https://www.patreon.com/knowyourenemy" rel="noopener noreferrer">Know Your Enemy on Patreon</a> for access to all of our bonus episodes!

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