When Wicked, the musical, debuted on Broadway in 2003, its big-hearted message about bullying and inclusivity barely caused a ripple. The film version, in contrast, opened only a fortnight after Donald Trump’s re-election, landing bang in the middle of a wokelash that helped him recapture the presidency.

Wicked’s celebration of a green-skinned heroine, played by Cynthia Erivo, was declared “racist against white people” by a former Trump advisor. This reverse victim narrative has become the new norm, put forward with ever greater boldness on the right. Ariana Grande’s remark that “Oz is a very queer place” was greeted with hoots of derision. Anything that smacks of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is in for a tough ride under Trump.

The culture wars didn’t stop Wicked taking nearly $500 million at the box office. Americans still enjoy a good holiday singalong. But Maga Republicans have emerged as the decisive victors of these battles. The vibe shift is real and likely to last. The rise of the “manosphere”, with bro-casters like Joe Rogan commanding vast online audiences, has left the liberal media in the dust.

“We were laughing our butts off at Donald Trump for suspending his door-knocking campaign and letting [activist] Charlie Kirk and Elon [Musk] do a bunch online,” Van Jones, a former Barack Obama adviser, admitted recently. “We said, ‘These guys are idiots! These guys are stupid!’”

The Democrats have no hiding place, having lost ground to Trump in almost every demographic group they rely on  – young men, young women, black, Hispanic and minority voters. They know they will have to rethink their strategy root and branch.

“The people driving this backlash are the very people that a lot of left-aligned folk view as their allies,” Musa al-Gharbi, author of the acclaimed new book, We Have Never Been Woke, told me.

Trump crushed two women rivals for the presidency, despite being dragged through the courts during the Biden interregnum over his business arrangements with sex worker Stormy Daniels and the E Jean Carrol defamation lawsuit. Some of Trump’s cabinet picks have abysmal records with women; others are billionaires who have no intention of “checking their privilege”. Exactly........

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