Who Voted for Trump and What His Reelection Says about Americans

Donald Trump’s first emergence into politics came when he famously questioned President Barack Obama’s citizenry. This vile conspiracy became known as the Birther Theory, nothing more than a baseless, racist lie used as a dog whistle to rile the foulest parts of the American psyche. This time, Trump ran on similar forms of hate based on conspiracy theories and won, unlike in 2020. Although it’s easy to associate his beliefs with those of his supporters, admittedly, Americans are having a hard time financially, even if it’s partially caused by Trump’s own policies that are still in effect.

Who Voted for Trump

Recently, I was attacked on Facebook by a Trump supporter I went to high school with. His position was that Americans did better under Trump. My position was the opposite. Eventually, this disagreement soured into his attacking me on a personal level. He mocked my investments as “penny investments” not fully understanding that the options I trade in the stock market are x100. So, if it says the original price of my option was $1.76, that means the cost was $176.00. Long story short, he had a poor understanding of how the stock market works, but he had a bunch of poorly formed opinions. This is similarly how he handles politics. His lack of knowledge coupled with a poor understanding of how government works led him to blame the current Presidential Administration for his circumstances.

Speaking on the circumstances of my attacker, in 2021, he and his wife had been evicted from a home in our state. During this time, he was also summoned before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The IDFPR is responsible for issuing out professional licenses and also revoking them.

It’s not clear why my Facebook attacker was summoned before the board, but it was a disciplinary hearing. Either way, he did not show up for the hearing. This led to his locksmith license being revoked. It seems that he faced some criminal charges as well. At some point over the next year, he left Chicago for the state of Georgia, probably Atlanta. All of this matters when considering who the average Trump supporter is.

Many male Trump supporters believe Democrats have empowered women too much.

My attacker was in a bad financial situation, and he lost his professional license, along with his career. This seems to be of his own doing, but his anger doesn’t allow him to accept blame for what he did. He views Illinois as a Democratic state, and everything that happened to him, from losing his place to losing his license, is the fault of Democrats.

Moreover, he does not feel like a man, and this too he blames on the Democrats. Many male Trump supporters believe Democrats have empowered women too much. These men feel like castaways in their own country and want to take it back.

On a larger scale, there are more poor people than there are ultra-wealthy or middle class. Right now, a cup of coffee on some college campuses costs over $3.50. This is basically hot flavored water with a kick costing what a breakfast from McDonald’s used to.

The same “poorly-educated” voters Trump loves are the same ones who have a disdain for their cousin who went to college…

While some of the Middle Class is crunching numbers to see how they’ll cover the next private school payment for their kids, poor people are cutting a slice of ham in two in order to feed both kids. The stakes are not the same. One group of people is teetering on the brink of starvation and homelessness. They’re not worried about being given a down payment on a house they’ll never be able to afford.

Moreover, in every family, there are poor and Middle Class. Many times, the same poorly-educated voters Trump loves are the same ones who have a disdain for their cousin who went to college and is now a teacher or a lawyer. In their eyes, their cousin is making all of this money and thinks they’re better than they are. Even though this is just a false reality they’ve made up in their heads, their bitterness toward this family member puts them in Trump’s corner.

When that Middle Class family member announces they’re voting for the Blue candidate, the poor family members see their chance to get under the skin of that Middle Class family member. The poor family members scream their support for Trump and hate for Democrats, all in an attempt to upset their Middle Class family. So, in essence, they vote for Trump out of spite.

A Life Preserver Ring

For many of the poor voters who picked Trump, they see him as a life preserver ring in this sea of rising prices. It doesn’t matter to them Trump failed at every promise he made his first time in office. This is forgotten because when the Federal Government sent out stimulus checks during the early Pandemic, Trump insisted on putting his name on the checks. This branding successfully turned a Democratic win at the time into a win for Trump now, even though he and Republicans shrank the size of the stimulus checks and fought against them.

By attacking immigrants, Trump successfully tapped into this subset of people who blame immigrants for their own circumstances.

When a person is choosing between feeding their kids tonight or in the morning, that person is less inclined to vote for the incumbent administration. That person sees all parts of this administration to blame for everything, including eggs costing more.

Trump has promised to “Make America great again.” He says he’ll do this by adding tariffs on all imports and deporting immigrants in a bloody fashion. Some poor people look at immigrants raising families and living well and are overcome with a strong dislike.

These people see themselves as “real Americans” and believe they are, therefore, entitled to all of this country’s fruits. An immigrant living well and contributing to their community in this country doesn’t sit well with certain Trump supporters. By attacking immigrants, Trump successfully tapped into this subset of people who blame immigrants for their own circumstances.

The Rainbow Problem

Although Americans are progressive in some ways, many are pushing back against what they see as the “Gay Agenda”. Some of these people believe institutions, including educational institutions, are promoting homosexual behaviors.

Conservatives, at least some, argue the media and certain policies are “making kids gay.”

It isn’t true that Democrats are pushing for children to have same-day gender surgery in schools, but it is true that homosexual relationships and acts are more prevalent on television and in ads now.

Conservatives, at least some, argue the media and certain policies are “making kids gay.” Although this is a poor way of phrasing the position, there are legitimate concerns regarding the popularization and seeming promotion of homosexual behaviors and the rise in the number of younger individuals identifying as gay.

Marketing is the primary way to inform somebody of an idea, service or product, and successful marketing does what it is intended to do. People who identify as gay have been historically marginalized, abused and made to feel like pariahs. Popular celebs like Ellen DeGeneres were cancelled in the 90s after revealing their sexuality. So, there is a legitimate reason to have PSA-type of campaigns about the gay or queer communities.

Parents are arguing, “I don’t want my kids determining their sexuality based on the promotion of homosexuality.”

However, some argue that politicians on the left along with Hollywood have surpassed public service announcements and are now promoting homosexual behaviors. The question becomes, Is it wrong to promote homosexual behaviors? If the promotion of these behaviors is influencing the sexuality of children, doing so might be wrong.

Even though many parents are now wiling to accept their child as gay, many of those same parents are against promoting homosexuality where it influences the sexuality of their children. Essentially, their position is, I would love my child even if they were gay, but I don’t want my kids determining their sexuality based on the promotion of homosexual behaviors. This is a fair position.

What’s more, homosexuality is being promoted as something cool and trendy, and this too can lead to more impressionable people, primarily kids, identifying as gay. Trends die. It is best to keep that in mind. Because of that, in some cases, it is hard to figure out if a person is truly gay or just looking to fit in.

The Takeaway

Food and gas prices are on the rise, and millions of Americans are feeling the pressure. Trump has successfully brought together poor people of all races, and they are standing up to have their voices heard. Some Americans are concerned with immigrants, the social services they receive and the jobs they fill. Americans want more, and they want to share less. The seeming promotion of homosexual behaviors by Left-leaning politicians, Hollywood and the media has led to more people going red. The wealthy voted for Trump just to secure their assets and to potentially make millions more. This cocktail of polarizing, crushing issues explains who voted for Donald Trump and why.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. He also works an Adjunct College Professor. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human. Subscribe and share.