By Alex Hinton
For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious. Why did so many people vote for Trump again, they wonder, and how did he win not just the Electoral College vote this time but the popular vote as well?
Trump’s critics cite his two impeachments, multiple criminal indictments at the state and federal levels and a felony conviction as evidence that he is unfit to be president again. Opponents also say that Trump is a threat to democracy, a misogynist, racist, a serial liar and a rapist.
About 78% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independent voters say that Trump broke the law when he allegedly tried to overturn the 2020 election results. But less than half of Republicans think he did anything wrong.
I am an anthropologist of peace and conflict, and I have been studying what I call the Trumpiverse since 2015, when Trump descended a golden escalator and announced his candidacy for president. I later wrote a related book in 2021, called “It Can Happen Here.”
More recently, I have been examining toxic polarization – and ways to stop it. Many efforts to reduce people’s polarized views begin with an injunction: Listen and understand.
Why did people vote for Trump?
To this end, I have attended Trump rallies, populist and nonpartisan events and meetings where Democrats and Republicans connect and talk. Along the way, I have spoken with Trump supporters ranging from the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, faithful to moderate “hold the nose and vote for him” conservatives.
And indeed, many on the left fail to understand who Trump voters are and how they vary. Trump’s base cannot simply be dismissed as racist “deplorables,” as Hillary Clinton famously said in 2016, or as country bumpkins in red MAGA hats. Trump voters trend older, white, rural, religious and less educated. But they include other groups, including Latinos and male voters.
Many people have thoughtful reasons for voting for Trump, even if their reasoning – as is also true for those on the left – is often inflamed by populist polarizers and media platforms.
Here are five key lines of reasoning that, in varying combinations, informed the choices of Trump voters.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
1. Media distortion
Where those on the left see Trump’s many failings, those on the right may see what some political observers call Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes simply called TDS.
According to this argument, the left-leaning media dissects Trump’s every word, and the media then distorts what he says. I have found that some Trump supporters think that people who feed too much on this allegedly biased media diet can get TDS and develop a passionate, perhaps illogical dislike of Trump.
I have also heard hardcore Trump supporters argue, with no evidence, that “fake news” media outlets, like CNN, are part of a larger deep state plot of the federal government to upend the will of the people. This plot, according to those who propagate it, includes not just leftists, government bureaucrats and people who claim to be Republicans but really aren’t, but also people in law enforcement.
Some Trump supporters also see merit in his contention that he is being wrongly persecuted, just as some see the Jan. 6 defendants being persecuted.
2. Bread on the table, money in the bank
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
For many Trump voters, the answer to Ronald Reagan’s famous question is clear: “No.”
They accurately remember Trump’s term as one of tax cuts, economic growth and stock market highs.
It is true that overall employment numbers and average pay went up under President Joe Biden. But for some Trump supporters, that economic boost pales in comparison to the massive surge in inflation during Biden’s term, with prices rising almost 20%. While the inflation rate has recently abated, prices remain high – as voters are reminded every day at the grocery store.
At the end of the 2024 campaign, polls showed Trump with a strong lead over Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on how to handle the economy. The economy was a top concern for voters, especially Republicans, and ultimately drove many voters to Trump.
3. A border invasion
Another reason some Americans voted for Trump: immigration.
Like inflation, the number of people illegally crossing the border soared under Biden.
This massive influx of “illegal aliens,” as Trump calls them, dropped to its lowest level in four years in July 2024. This happened after the Biden administration made it harder for immigrants to apply for asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, a policy measure that is in line with many Republicans’ approach.
In 2022, a poll found 7 out of 10 Republicans worried that “open borders” were part of a Democratic plot to expand liberals’ power by replacing conservative white people with nonwhite foreigners.
Trump played into some people’s mostly false concerns that immigrants living illegally in the U.S. are freeloaders and won’t assimilate, as illustrated by his untrue September 2024 allegations that immigrants were eating pets in Ohio.
In 2022, 82% of Republicans said they viewed immigration as a “very important” issue. Trump continues to tout his proposed solution, which includes shutting the border, building a wall and deporting 11 million immigrants who are living in the U.S. without legal authorization.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
4. A proven record
Beyond the economy and immigration, some Trump voters simply compared the records of Trump and the Biden-Harris administration and found that the tally tilted firmly toward Trump.
There were no new wars under Trump. Biden-Harris, in contrast, have been saddled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. Trump supporters’ perception is that American taxpayers foot a large portion of the bill, even though other countries are also giving money to Ukraine, and Israel is actually buying weapons from the U.S.
I have found that Trump supporters also think he is better suited to deal with the rising power and threat of China. Finally, abortion opponents believe he delivered by appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.
5. The MAGA bull in a china shop
While some Harris supporters lamented Trump’s destruction of democracy and decency in politics, I have found that Trump voters see a charismatic MAGA bull in a china shop.
His supporters wanted Trump elected precisely because he is an unrelenting pugilist, or a fighter – as he showed when he raised a fist after the July assassination attempt against him.
Some in the Trumpiverse even view him as savior who will rescue the U.S. from a “radical left” apocalypse.
For Trump stalwarts, MAGA is not simply a slogan. It is a movement to save an America that is on the brink of failure.
This story has been updated to reflect the results of the 2024 presidential election. It was originally published on Sept. 25, 2024.
Alex Hinton is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University – Newark.
The Conversation arose out of deep-seated concerns for the fading quality of our public discourse and recognition of the vital role that academic experts could play in the public arena. Information has always been essential to democracy. It’s a societal good, like clean water. But many now find it difficult to put their trust in the media and experts who have spent years researching a topic. Instead, they listen to those who have the loudest voices. Those uninformed views are amplified by social media networks that reward those who spark outrage instead of insight or thoughtful discussion. The Conversation seeks to be part of the solution to this problem, to raise up the voices of true experts and to make their knowledge available to everyone. The Conversation publishes nightly at 9 p.m. on FlaglerLive.
jim says
tough break, ha Pierre… are you packing your bags to go home too? Don’t let the door hit you in the ass….BYE BYE!!!
Dennis C Rathsam says
No he,s gonna spread more bullshit about TRUMP for the next 4 years! Poor Poor Pierre WE who laugh last laugh BEST
I Just Love Flagler Beach says
Well we’ll see who laughs last.
Dark MAGA says
Someone needs to make Jim and Dennis great again.
JimboXYZ says
6. The alternative was Biden-Harris-Walz and more of what made America suck for the last 4 years. This nation & world should’ve never shut down for Covid. Thank you very much Fauci. And Fauci rode off into the sunset with a pension that rivals what Biden is going to get. The Operation Warp Speed that produced the 3 vaccine brands in 7 months, wasn’t given the opportunity to recover from a DC Swamp of a government that overstepped Democracy in 2021. Look at the smoldering ashes of America from Biden-Harris. Even locally here, we have a Developer looking to sue over lost profits because Seminole Woods was approved for 415+ units instead of 850+. It just gets better doesn’t it, for all the fraud & abuse of 5 years as the coup of 2020 went down. What a mess, where does Trump-Vance even start to fix the ruination. America is the equivalent of an economic Gaza war zone from Biden-Harris for the poorest & middle class. Nothing is affordable. I’m still on record, I don’t think Trump-Vance can undo this catastrophe in 4 years, Progress towards a recovery is like ground zero for the Cat 5/6 Hurricane that levels a community. It’ll take years to. We;ll be voting in 2028 again, I’m sure Harris will run again, as days after losing, I’m still getting Harris campaign donation emails for spam for the $ 50 starter level as a minimum donation. Even when she loses, we all get the same waterboarding for the next election. Can’t wait until Jan 2025 and Biden-Harris will finally be evicted from the WH, a place in positions that neither had any business ever being in as POTUS-VPOTUS in the 1st place.
c says
Best I can do as a Response :
————————————-
“To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.”
Thomas Paine
“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it”.
George Bernard Shaw
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It would be very amusing to watch the next 4 years unfold, if I could do it from Mars or somewhere else far removed.
Mona says
It was the best answer I could read here. Stupidity, ignorance, hate and rasism quite often don’t have borders.
Sodamichael says
I agree. I moved to Europe two years ago and just kept my PC home as a rental. Over here, we’re just sitting back with popcorn getting ready for the s**t show about to begin 10 weeks.
Pogo says
@Alex Hinton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Laban_Hinton
Thank you for your concise rehash of the 6:30 news.
Given their (trump, et al.) proclivity for projection, and projectile bullshit — what, I wonder, will be their favored euphemism for human cannibalism when they start serving that up? A brain is a terrible thing to waste? Hey, maybe I should copyright…
Ah, to hell with it.
Thanks again.
Al says
Another waste of time from a supposed expert. Why does the left have this fascination with a title? Just because you got a degree in some bs major doesn’t make you an expert.
Is the Democrat party dupees aware that a lot of the celebrity endorsements were paid. Oprah, got a million to show up, Beyonce, and Gaga were paid to perform. This digbat of a candidate not only wasted one billion dollars, but is in debt for millions more. She would have done just great for the economy. If she couldn’t manage her campaign finances just think of our tax money.
For the last time professor ( used with disgust ) we are not against immigrants, just the illegals.
Judith G. Michaud says
Ignorant fools, that’s why they voted for him. If they did some research, we wouldn’t be in such trouble right now. Your gas and groceries are not going down and time soon folks! If tRump did not close all our infection control centers around the world, we would not have had such a disastrous pandemic! So, COVID spread because of his lies. He kept saying we were fine while thousands were dying. He GAVE our COVID testing kits to Putin and our country was in desperate need of them. Now that s really putting country first! Hundreds of factories closed down and businesses went under. We could not even buy toilet paper, that’s how price gouging originated! Big business is trying to recoup their losses. You blame the high cost of eggs on Biden, research how many chickens had to be killed because of Bird Flu! Now comes Project 2025! How many of them even read the first page? Thousands stand to lose Medicare and AHC and us old folks fear what he will do to our only source of income, Social Security, which we worked for! Donnie just ran to get a GET OUT OF JAIL FREE card and you gave it to him! Where are the moral values America used to have? Racism and bigotry saw to that! You have elected a convicted felon and sexual abuser to represent our country. What an example for our children! My only saving grace is that when we go down, we are all going together but those of us who preferred DEMOCRACY over cheaper gas and groceries will have clear consciences! You have been conned by the best!
Ken says
All lies, democracy has spoken. If the lies you spew help you deal with the loss of dictatorship, good for you. Again, if you don’t listen to corporate media, Hollywood and elites, they’re ego always come to one conclusion, you’re
racist, stupid or both. Think about this for one second, you and the so called upper class has called 70mm plus million people this. Americans have the power and they have spoken, we win our country back from the edge of disaster, you lose!
Bless your heart.
Whathehck? says
How many pages of the 2025 project have you read?
What lies did Judith write?
DaleL says
Our political system is just two parties. Trump was elected in 2016 and did a pretty poor job. As a result, Biden was elected in 2020.
Biden also has done a pretty poor job. On top of that his cognitive issues made it apparent should not be reelected. However, not before the Democratic primaries were over and a month after the Biden/Trump debate.
Voters in 2024 did not have much of a choice. The choice was a last minute stand-in for slow ineffectual Tweedledum, outrageous criminal Tweedledee, or to not vote at all. In 2020, there were about 155 million votes. The tally for 2024 is about 140,000 million. Trump got a couple of million fewer votes than four years ago.
joseph hempfling says
AND AS THE ARTICLE SAYS “YOU HAVE ELECTED A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP” AND A DERANGED AND DANGEROUS
ONE AT THAT.
SO BE PREPARED FOR THE DAMAGE.
ENOUGH TO GO AROUND FOR EVERYONE AND WHICH WE PAID FOR AND IN OUR NAME !
AND LASTLY, AS SOMEONE ONCE SAID; “FORGIVE THEM FATHER, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO “
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
Good article and sums things up nicely. If only the dems had ran a democrat, things might be different.
rony says
Low Intelligence – and brainwashed by fox entertainment and X .
jake says
And yet, Democratic heads are still exploding everywhere. Today is a Great Day in America.
Peter says
The Biden Harris administration restored the economy, as jobs became plentiful and wages rose. Yes, inflation also skyrocketed, but has since been tamed. That will happen in the wake of a pandemic. The stock market hit record highs. Our economy became the envy of the world. As for the border, Trump twisted the arms of his minions in Congress to shoot down the bipartisan bill addressing the situation. Trump himself is an agent of chaos, empowering dictators like Putin, running roughshod over democratic norms, and constantly stoking his pathetic ego. That anyone would vote for this frail, preening, lazy, rash buffoon is stunning.