I live in a deep red rural area and the MAGA flags and others are out of vogue(granted they were Cheap AF & ruined quickly). I’m not seeing the energy. Even the perennial die-hard “but democrat x bad” have lost their desire to trumpet even a pro-republican slogan. They will vote and most won’t change their mind but they are seriously deflated with nothing to rally around with Trump’s “retribution only” campaign.
I agree many of the news organizations have changed leadership & most of them are clamoring to get back the audience they had from previously or seeking to “shift tone”.