For much of the last decade I have struggled to understand former President Donald Trumps popularity and the reasons why millions of voters support him. To be honest let me say up front that I dislike Trump as a person and could not fathom how anyone could support him considering his lack of character. Sure he is a rich, charismatic TV celebrity but there had to be more to it. His supporters I have talked to mainly parrot his talking points which did not aid my understanding. I’m sure there are many other reasons I have not considered but here after a lot of thought is my best guess as to Trumps popularity.
The American Dream Is Slipping Away
I believe one big reason is our two party system is broken and incapable of solving our nations biggest problems. Congressional extremists who place ideology above country refuse to work in a bipartisan manner. Compromise is a dirty word that translates into political weakness. Politics has become a zero sum game, where you either win or loose. Consequently we have gridlock with both sides blaming the other. Glaring problems such as our broken immigration system, school shootings, a shrinking middle-class, widening wage gap, historic levels of national debt are ignored or used to attack the party in power. The political strategy today seems to be to win a majority of congressional seats and then shove your agenda down the other party’s throat. I’m not sure this is what our country’s founders had in mind.
In the mean time many of our fellow citizens see the American dream slipping away. We are the first generation where our children will not be as prosperous as we are. For many young people today college is out of reach or upon graduation they are deeply in debt. Many cannot afford to buy a home, cannot afford childcare, health care or the medicines prescribed to them. Based on figures from the CDC deaths from Fentanyl overdose reached 74,702 in 2023! The working class has been decimated as good paying jobs have been shipped overseas, or they have been replaced by automation. Retraining programs seem to have failed. All the while the cost of living increases and the government does nothing. Politicians make the same hollow promises election cycle after election cycle and things only get worse.
In the midst of this Donald Trump came on the scene offering hope. Hope that people struggling would no longer be ignored. Hope that a government that no longer works for them will be changed by “draining the swamp” and hope that a real fighter will stand up for them. He is a disrupter that speaks crudely, disparages the “elites” and convinces many, rightly or wrongly that they are victims of the very institutions designed to support our democracy. The classic “us verses them” argument that is as effective as it is simple. Using fear and misinformation he has captured peoples anger and frustration at a government that seemingly ignores their plight and he is not hesitant to attack this “failed system” on his supporters behalf.
Threats to Traditional Values
For many Trump supporters the country that they love is disappearing. This invites the worse of our nature to take hold as many feel their values are being threatened by changes in our culture. The acceptance of alternative lifestyles across society (gays, trans-gender, queer, etc.) that for many are seen as obscene and threatening to families and their children. The backlash to this liberalism is children’s book banning, attacking “woke” programs like Critical Race Theory and a general attitude that schools are indoctrinating rather than educating. Their values are also threatened by the rise in secularism and the shrinking role of religion in daily life. They honestly believe that in supporting Trump they are protecting the “American way of life”.
“America First”, The Rejection of Globalism
A related dynamic is the worldwide rise of nationalism. Almost everywhere you look far-right forces are rejecting globalization which has connected nations economically, established alliances as a deterrence to war and increased the permeability of borders as in the European Union. The good news is that it has reduced the price of goods and kept us out of a major war for the last seventy plus years. The bad news is that there has been a backlash against immigrants who are seen as a threat to the host nations cultural identity.
Economic ties can create a dependance on other countries in time of crisis (i.e. Covid masks and ventilators manufactured in China) which leaves nations in peril. Nationalism questions why we are spending millions defending Ukraine, supporting NATO, and providing foreign aid when that money could be better spent solving serious problems at home. This has led many to feel that our government cares more about “foreigners” than about its own citizens. Again Trump has tapped in to this feeling in the very nature of his political strategy of “Make America Great Again”.
Self-Interest
This is no surprise, humans inherently act in their own self-interests. This dynamic applies regardless of class. Whether it is the cost of groceries, an individuals stock portfolio, a company’s corporate earnings, or a politicians quest for power, whichever candidates policies address a voters self-interests has their support. Many elites (including Republican politicians) support Trump despite their contempt for him because he fuels their personal quest for power. (e.g. Mark Green R-TN: “The things we do for the Orange Jesus”.) This implies that in choosing a candidate personal benefit outweighs suitability for the office or even threats to democracy itself. Until COVID struck the American economy was in good shape, for many there is a belief that returning Trump to office represents a return to this prosperity.
Racism, Misogyny & Masculinity
And unfortunately Trump appeals to the racist and sexist elements in our electorate. Hate groups have been emboldened by Trumps dog whistles and often blatant racism. He meets and praises authoritarian leaders, white nationalists and holocaust deniers without any loss in popularity. As a Black-Asian woman Harris fell victim to the many stereotypes still common within our society. Women are weak, not serious, not smart and easily taken advantage of. On the other hand Trump is seen as macho, courageous, and strong, not afraid to attack anything or anybody standing in his way. In an age where masculinity is perceived as being under attack by liberals, Trump reprises older definitions of being “a man” that are attractive to many. Perhaps this helps explain the “gender gap” in polls with more men supporting Trump while more women support Harris. Trump has effectively tapped into white Americans fear of the “browning” of our country and I suspect that a black-asian woman with a Jewish husband holding the highest office in the land personifies this threat.
Belief in Misinformation
Quality decision making is based on facts and not on misinformation. It brings to mind the old saying “garbage in, garbage out”. If we are flooded with misinformation and fail to challenge its authenticity our decisions will be flawed. Our largest challenge today is discerning truth from lies. Living in completely different information realities (Fox News vs MSNBC), confusing facts with opinion, and the prevalent use of propaganda techniques to target an audiences emotions and short-circuit their ability to think critically, explains why we are so polarized as a nation. The reality is that we do not tune in to a particular news program to learn facts to enhance our understanding or challenge our biases. But we seek out information that validates our biases. People by and large are intellectually lazy and if information supports their bias they believe it without seeking to learn the source or seek supporting facts. Trumps exaggerated arguments , trumpeting “American Carnage”, soaring crime, murderous immigrants, weaponization of the Justice Department, the 2020 stolen election, are meant to instill a feeling of victimization among his supporters while at the same time presenting himself as the only one who can fix these problems. His supporters have bought in to his fake self-serving reality even when their own eyes tell them different as in his interpretation of the January 6th insurrection.
Sense of Belonging and Camaraderie
Many Trump supporters have found meaning and camaraderie in belonging to the MAGA community. In a world where many people are lonely, feel ignored and powerless, identifying with a movement which provides a cause bigger than themselves is energizing and fulfilling. They see themselves as American patriots fighting the liberal forces aligned to destroy our nation.
In closing I think I understand some of why Trumps followers are so loyal. He has harnessed wide-spread frustration to gain power and then using the fear of his loyal following to politically destroy anyone perceived by him to be disloyal he has transformed the Republican party into a tool of his bidding.
Alan Wilgus is a resident of the Village of Charlotte.
