Does the ending of wokeness prove that wokeness was needed?

I don’t have a baby in this fight, but curious as to everyone’s thoughts.

I’ve noticed many conservatives celebrating what they call the "end of wokeness" since Trump’s rise to power. Reflecting on this, I find a deep irony in the situation.

Here’s how I see it: Woke people began this movement during COVID, particularly after George Floyd’s murder, feeling empowered and believing they were making real progress. At the time, anti-woke people, perhaps out of guilt or discomfort, allowed the movement to grow and didn’t push back strongly. The irony lies in the fact that woke people argued they needed this movement and systemic change precisely because they lacked power, while anti-woke people now claim the movement was unnecessary because equality has already been achieved.

But doesn’t this dynamic reveal where the true power lies? If anti-woke people can simply decide to end a movement when they grow tired of it, doesn’t that prove they hold the power all along?

Again, i’m not arguing for or against what people call wokeness. I’m just curious as to your thoughts on the irony and what has happened.