To many people, especially those who lean left, Donald Trump's disqualification from becoming president seems obvious, prompting some to wonder: How can anyone still vote for Trump?
Some of the evidence Trump's critics cite includes his two impeachment trials, multiple state and federal criminal charges, and a felony conviction. Opponents also say Trump is a threat to democracy, a misogynist, a racist, a serial liar and a rapist.
About 78% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent voters say Trump broke the law when he allegedly tried to overturn the 2020 election results. But fewer than half of Republicans think he did anything wrong.
I'm an anthropologist of peace and conflict, and I've been studying what I call the Trumpiverse since 2015, when Trump descended a golden escalator and announced his candidacy for president. Later, I wrote a related book in 2021 called “It Can Happen Here.”
More recently, I've been exploring toxic polarization – and ways to stop it. Many efforts to reduce people's polarized views begin with a commandment: listen and understand.
Why do people vote for Trump?
To this end, I have attended Trump rallies, populist and nonpartisan events, and gatherings where Democrats and Republicans connect and talk. Along the way, I've spoken to Trump supporters ranging from the Make America Great Again or MAGA stalwarts to moderate “hold your nose and vote for him” conservatives.
And indeed, many on the left don't 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 are older, white, rural, religious and less educated. But they also include others outside these demographic groups.
Many people have well-thought-out reasons for voting for Trump, even if their reasoning—as is true of those on the left—is often fueled by populist polarizers and media platforms.
Here are five key lines of reasoning that, in various combinations, are shaping Trump voters' choices.
1. Media distortion
Where those on the left see Trump's many flaws, those on the right may see what some political observers call Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes simply called TDS.
According to this reasoning, the left-wing media parses Trump's every word and then distorts what he says. I have discovered that some Trump supporters believe that people who overfeed on this supposedly biased media diet can develop TDS and a passionate, perhaps illogical, aversion to Trump.
I have also heard hardcore Trump supporters claim, without any evidence, that such “fake news” media outlets, like CNN, are part of a larger pervasive federal government scheme to subvert the will of the people. According to those pushing it, this conspiracy includes not only leftists, government bureaucrats and people who claim to be Republicans but are not, but also people in law enforcement.
Some Trump supporters also see merit in his claim that he is being wrongly prosecuted, just as some see the January 6 defendants being prosecuted.
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's true that overall employment rates and average wages have risen under President Joe Biden. But for some Trump supporters, that economic boost pales in comparison to the massive rise in inflation during Biden's term, which saw prices rise by nearly 20%. Although inflation has recently subsided, prices remain high – as voters are reminded of every day at the supermarket.
Polls also show Trump with a strong lead over Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in their handling of the economy, which is a major concern for voters, especially Republicans.
3. A border invasion
Another reason some Americans want to vote for Trump: immigration.
Like inflation, the number of people crossing the border illegally increased under Biden.
This massive influx of “illegal aliens,” as Trump calls them, dropped to the lowest level in four years in July 2024. This came after the Biden administration made it harder for immigrants to seek asylum at the US-Mexico border. measure that is in line with the approach of many Republicans.
In 2022, a poll found that seven in 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 has played on some people's mostly false concerns that immigrants living in the U.S. illegally are freeloaders and will not assimilate, as illustrated by recent — untrue — accusations that immigrants eat pets in Ohio.
In 2022, 82% of Republicans said they considered immigration a “very important” issue. Trump continues to tout his proposed solution, which includes closing the border, building a wall and deporting 11 million immigrants living in the US without legal permission.
4. A proven track record
Some Trump voters simply compare the Trump and Biden-Harris data and find that the numbers clearly tilt toward Trump.
And it's not just about the economy and immigration.
There were no new wars under Trump. Biden-Harris, on the other hand, is saddled with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. The perception of Trump supporters is that American taxpayers are footing much of the bill, even though other countries also give money to Ukraine and Israel actually buys weapons from the US.
I have noticed that Trump supporters also think he is better suited to deal with China's growing power and threat.
5. The MAGA bull in a china shop
While some Harris supporters lament Trump's destruction of democracy and decency in politics, I've noticed that Trump voters see a charismatic MAGA bull in a china shop.
Precisely because Trump is a relentless boxer, or a fighter – as he showed when he raised a fist after the assassination attempt on him in July – he should be elected, his supporters believe.
Some even see him as the savior – who will save the US from a 'radical left' apocalypse.
For such Trump loyalists, MAGA is not just a slogan. In the Trumpiverse, it is a movement to save an America on the brink of failure.
Read more: Why should people vote for Kamala Harris? 5 things to understand about why her supporters support her
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit organization providing facts and trusted analysis to help you understand our complex world. It was written by: Alex Hinton, Rutgers University – Newark
Read more:
Alexander Hinton receives funding from the Rutgers-Newark Center for the Study of Politics and Race in America.
