Trump’s popularity with his base isn’t the result of economic anxiety, as many claimed in 2016. It’s about race and demographics.

TO UNDERSTAND THE rise of Donald Trump, you don’t need to go to a diner in the Midwest or read “Hillbilly Elegy,” J.D. Vance’s memoir.

You just need to know these basic facts:

In 1980, white people accounted for about 80 percent of the U.S. population.

In 2024, white people account for about 58 percent of the U.S. population.

Trump appeals to white people gripped by demographic hysteria. Especially older white people who grew up when white people represented a much larger share of the population. They fear becoming a minority.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    John Brown didn’t get to kill enough slavers, that’s why we’re all here. We gave the racists a little rope, and now they’re trying to hang us with it. Been that way ever since Reconstruction ended.

    Opposition to racism must be enduring. It must be absolute. It can brook no compromise, because compromise is tacit agreement to the validity (however small or marginal) of the opposition’s point, and racism is based on an absurdity. And when a society starts validating absurdities… well, look at Trump.

    • breadsmasher@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      and the fact the confederacy was allowed to “live in on” in memory as heritage, and allowed statues honouring traitors to the United States

      If you allow confederate statues to honour enemies of the country, why are there no statues honouring the british red coats from the war of independence? Where are the statues honouring soviet spies executed for espionage?

  • TeoTwawki@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    They fear becoming a minority.

    They operate under the false beliefs that they already are and that “the libs” bring in foreigners to tilt the vote (which is litteraly not possible) and then “those people get free everything” to feed further into racism. The imaginary bussed in people can’t vote or get benefits but thier social circle says so and thats all they need to believe and repeat it.

    The triangle of rhetoric is appeal to authority, appeal to emotion, appeal to logic. They don’t accept any of it thay didn’t come from within thier social group so there is no convinving them and that is why Tronald Dump can say he could shoot somebody on 5th avenue and have them call it fake news despite being recorded.

    (Edit x 5 :Why oh why can’t spellcheck just work?)

    • w3dd1e@lemm.ee
      0·
      1 month ago

      This is exactly what my neighbor stopped me to tell me recently. About bringing in immigrants to vote and what not. I tried to tell him none of that information is true and show him where and why, but it’s really hard to do without making them dig further into their position.

      Anne they are now conditioned believe that any media that doesn’t align with them is fake.

      • TeoTwawki@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        17 days ago

        Even when you do manage to get one to think and realize the truth their peer group will come down on them HARD for “falling for leftist propaganda” and they will 180 immediately.

  • TheFonz@lemmy.world
    01·
    1 month ago

    While I do think racism plays a big role, articles like these that paint a large American section with broad brush like this play a dangerous game.

    At this point if you’re still supporting Trump, there is little that can be done for you with regards to changing your mind and youll be hard pressed to find sympathy.

    But there is something to be said about the rural / urban divide. Small town America has been left behind - both economically and culturally and somehow we have to reach them. I don’t know if it’s a failure of messaging on the Dems or what exactly. I also think it’s a much broader issue than just ‘racism’.