MAGA activists 'bragging' violent crackdown was just a 'test run': analyst

President Trump's empowerment of voter fraud conspiracies, immigration enforcement, and violent protests crackdown are all connected, says Media Matters chief.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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According to Media Matters for America chief Angelo Carusone, President Trump's empowerment of voter fraud conspiracies, immigration enforcement, and violent crackdown on protesters in places like Minnesota are all part of a coordinated effort by MAGA activists to undermine elections and elevate Trump as a 'strongman' leader. Carusone says these activists are 'bragging' that the Minneapolis crackdown was just a 'test run' for their broader strategy.

Why it matters

Carusone's analysis suggests that the Trump administration and its allies are actively working to sow chaos, confusion, and voter suppression around elections in order to pave the way for Trump to assert authoritarian control. This raises serious concerns about the future of American democracy.

The details

Carusone says Trump has empowered 'election deniers' and 'investigative-type creators' to manufacture evidence of voter fraud and use their official government positions and the right-wing media echo chamber to amplify these false narratives. He argues the Minneapolis crackdown on Somali immigrants was a 'test run' for this broader strategy, with activists now bragging about their plans to replicate it in other states.

  • The Minneapolis crackdown on protesters occurred in 2026.

The players

Angelo Carusone

President of Media Matters for America, a liberal media watchdog group that has faced legal attacks from the Trump administration.

Heather Honey

A 2020 election denier who has been given a special government employee status to work on election investigations.

James O'Keefe

A conservative activist known for producing controversial undercover videos.

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What they’re saying

“There are others all across the government, you know, not just on the inside but on the outside that are helping reinforce and buttress that narrative from official purchase.”

— Angelo Carusone, President, Media Matters for America (MS NOW)

“They have a constellation of these sort of investigative-type creators, people that were doing things like what James O'Keefe used to do, who are going out there and putting together these exposés, these reports, this of the scandal.”

— Angelo Carusone, President, Media Matters for America (MS NOW)

“A video guy goes out there, he does a video about all this, you know, all of this Somali fraud. They then make a big thing about it and they say, we have to send in ICE to crack down on it. Look how big it is.”

— Angelo Carusone, President, Media Matters for America (MS NOW)

What’s next

Carusone says the Trump administration and its allies are planning to replicate the Minneapolis crackdown strategy in other states, with 20 'election deniers' bragging about their relationship with the White House and teeing up similar efforts in Arizona and nine other states.

The takeaway

Carusone's analysis suggests the Trump administration and MAGA activists are engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine elections and democracy in order to elevate Trump as a 'strongman' leader, raising grave concerns about the future of American democratic institutions.