A former Trump supporter went viral after he posted a TikTok video in which he explained why he stopped supporting former President Donald Trump and listed what he "hates" most about him now.
Collins candidly revealed how he once embraced Trump's rhetoric and policies before realizing they brought the "worst" aspects of himself to the surface.
He posted his response to another TikTok creator who had asked Trump's critics why they "hate him so much." In his video, which has since garnered over a million views, Collins provides a layered explanation for his change of heart.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
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Collins said he "drank the juice" and "joined the cult" for a time, offering a succinct explanation for why he ditched the MAGA movement:
"It's simple for me. Because he made me realize how horrible of a person I really was."
"I used to agree with Trump's divisive rhetoric, such as building a wall along the Mexican border and characterizing Muslim people as threats to the United States."
He acknowledges that Trump's statements brought to the surface the "worst" elements of his own beliefs, including racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, misogyny, and more.
Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again," resonated with Collins, and he felt that, as a White, straight Christian male, he was under attack in America:
"All of those internalized beliefs, the worst of me that I used to keep suppressed, he brought to the surface. He showed me how much of a racist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, misogynistic, woman-hating, Christian white nationalist I truly was."
"And he made me believe as a white, straight Christian male, that I was under attack, that I was being discriminated against in America today."
Collins, who had spent ten years as an inmate in the Florida Department of Corrections, had never been tempted to join a gang until he became convinced that "the White man was under attack." He recalled cheering on the crowd during the insurrection of January 6, 2021, believing that people were taking their country back.
A significant turning point in Collins' perspective occurred during his time in prison when he formed a friendship with a Black Muslim man. He came to realize that everything he identified in Trump was reflected in his own beliefs:
"He didn't make me be a bad person — he just emboldened me to be the person I already was. Donald Trump appeals to the worst of America. In 2024, we need to bring out the best of America."
He also explained what he "hates" the most about the former President:
"You know what I hate most about Donald Trump? Is that I actually believed the lie. I believed that he actually cared about me, the poor, common folk. I hate that he brought out the worst in me and everybody else that I was closely associated with."
Many applauded Collins' honesty and offered their own criticisms of Trump.
Despite facing numerous state and federal charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 election result, Trump remains a favorite to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
The heightened level of scrutiny Trump faces does not appear to have made much of a dent in his support from the most die-hard MAGA adherents.
77 percent of his supporters believe the indictments against him are "politically motivated," according to a recent CBS News poll that also found that among likely GOP voters, Trump enjoys a majority—62 percent—of their support.
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