Disillusioned young MAGA men turn on Trump for a surprising reason
A fan wearing a MAGA cap checks his mobile phone during the UFC Freedom 250 at the UFC Fan Fest on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

Discontent is brewing among right-wing college students who believe the Trump administration is not aggressive enough on immigration enforcement.

The Atlantic's Charlie Sabgir spoke with young men who support the MAGA movement at academic institutions across the country.

Overall, these men believe, "the future of American conservatism should be rooted in a patriarchal version of Christianity and an unapologetic ethnonationalism," Sabgir found.

He also explained this can only be achieved by figures further right than Vice President JD Vance.

Young Republicans also oppose foreign military involvement, favoring complete American isolationism, Sabgir reported.

While President Donald Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to carry out the "largest deportation operation in the history of our country" with a goal of 1 million annual deportations, Sabgir wrote, the administration has fallen far short despite high-profile immigration enforcement actions.

Vinson Ratcliffgardy, who leads the Turning Point USA chapter at Angelo State University in Texas, said the "hope for the future is to deport more," and those around him conclude the Trump administration failed to do so.

Watch the video below.