A version of this article was first published in the Right to the Point newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday morning and to vote in subscriber-only polls.
The term MAGA used to convey an affinity for President Donald Trump and the other political figures aligned with him. But these days, you can describe yourself politically as “right in the middle” and still find yourself branded a MAGA Barbie.
Just ask Sophie Cunningham.
The WNBA guard, who became famous for defending Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, has become a “MAGA fixation,” according to a recent article in Vanity Fair, which noted that Vice President JD Vance had praised Cunningham for “speaking her mind” about transgender athletes in women’s sports. The article also cited the fact that Cunningham has “retweeted and liked social posts supporting conservative viewpoints,” including some by Riley Gaines.
She is, essentially, MAGA by association, even though Cunningham has said she doesn’t claim either the Republican or Democratic party.
“I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume,” Cunningham recently said in an interview with ESPN.
But she does hold views that are more identified with the political right than the left, including remarks she has made about what she wants in a family.
Basketball Network reported that not only does Cunningham want to find a man who is taller than she is (she’s 6-foot-1), but she said recently on a podcast that she wants a husband who can ”push me towards Christ.“
“If you’re not about it, and you don’t talk about it, then don’t even talk to me. I have my blinders on. ... But my No. 1 thing is I want you to lead our house, lead me, lead our future kids to serve and love a good, good God,” she said.
That statement doesn’t make her MAGA, but it might make her even more controversial than she already is ... if the word gets out. Religion writer Terry Mattingly recently pointed out that for all the headlines that Cunningham is making these days, few of the articles mention her religious faith.
Cunningham, who just turned 30 this week, is single and still looking; any interested man who is 6-foot-2 or taller and has a strong Christian faith might want to go to a Fever game with a friendship bracelet for her, a strategy that worked out great for Travis Kelce.
The end of the road for Trump merch?
Earlier this year, FCC chairman Brendan Carr made a fashion statement that doubled as a bid for job security: He was spotted wearing a lapel pin with the gold-plated face of Donald Trump.
It wasn’t the same thing as the “Happy Trump” lapel pin that the president has been spotted wearing, but goes to show that there is no end to Trump merch. You can literally outfit yourself from your feet to your head with Trump-branded clothing and accessories — socks, sneakers, pants, underwear, shirts, jackets, raincoats, gloves, sunglasses. If you can wear it, you can buy it with Trump’s name or image on it.
A few years ago, I wrote about the emergence of the Trump pop-up store, and what the phenomenon said about the candidate. (There have been no pop-up stores selling Joe Biden or Kamala Harris merch, to my knowledge.) These pop-up stores led to physical stores, as well. But now, at least two of those stores, in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, have shuttered, with Newsweek reporting that it’s because sales have slowed.
Various locations of New England for Trump stores have also closed this year.
This may or may not reflect the president’s recent poll numbers; it may just mean there’s a limit to how much Trump merch even Trump supporters want.
The official Trump Store of the Trump Organization hasn’t gotten that message, however: It’s hawking merchandise for tailgating season, including a football with “Trump” printed on it — in gold letters, of course.
Recommended Reading
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently signed a law that made abortion legal up to the moment of birth. Princeton scholar Robert P. George calls the law barbaric and is calling on Democrats to speak out against it as well.
“Some Democrats have been willing to challenge their party’s hard left, speaking out against socialism, antisemitism, defunding the police, abolishing prisons and other extreme measures. But is opposing the moral equivalent of infanticide a bridge too far in today’s Democratic Party? I hope not.”
It’s time for Democrats to speak up about the Massachusetts abortion law
The apparent suicide of a Cambridge University scholar whose credentials came under question has roiled academia and reminded Naomi Schaefer Riley of the time she got canceled.
“Over the course of decades, scholars who are seen as members of certain protected classes have essentially been infantilized within academia, while those who have been critical of their work — and the system — have been accused of racism.”
The tragedy of Jason Arday reminds me of why I was canceled
More than half of engaged or married couples have a prenuptial agreement, a new Harris poll says. While couples may see this as a kind of insurance, Maria Baer and Brad Wilcox say that it’s couples who don’t have a prenup who are more likely to report higher commitment.
“The strongest couples don’t just commit to trying to stay together, they commit to the commitment itself. The legal institution of marriage benefits from a web of accountability — from the family and friends who witness a couple’s vows to the financial and logistical barriers to separation — meant to dissuade couples from breaking that commitment. Prenups, by definition, untangle that web of accountability, the sense that your marriage is an ‘all-in’ commitment.”
The rise of the prenup and how it’s associated with divorce
End Notes
In last week’s Right to the Point poll, we considered the matter of Trump taking a smaller aircraft from Turkey while some aides and the press flew in the “decoy” Air Force One. Most of us were uncomfortable with that.
And finally, Hillary Clinton liked to say “it takes a village” to raise a child. Some people think New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s take is “it takes a government.”
This past Sunday, Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, made good on his promise to offer New York City parents a night out, providing them with free babysitting for four hours for children ages 6-13. (It was free to the parents, at least. The city provided the manpower and facilities, and sponsors provided the children’s meals.)
It’s unclear if the night could be considered a success, as about 500 parents registered but just 265 children participated, according to The New York Times.
Perhaps they had second thoughts? After all, one person’s glowing take on this was “New York City became the babysitter.” That could be either a dream or a nightmare, depending on one’s values.
At any rate, there are other options that don’t involve leaving your child in the care of New York City. Babysitting co-ops among friends can offer parents relief, as do “Parents Night Out” and “Mothers Morning Out” programs at churches and YMCAs.
And if you’re really blessed, there’s grandparents. Grandparents are great.