Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking

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Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking

For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious, prompting some to question: How could anyone still vote for Trump?

Some of the evidence Trump’s critics cite include his

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,

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at the state and federal levels and

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. Opponents also say that Trump is a

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,

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,

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, a

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and

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.

About 78% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independent voters say that

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when he allegedly tried to overturn the 2020 election results. But

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of Republicans think he did anything wrong.

I am an

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, and I have been studying what I call the Trumpiverse since 2015, when

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and announced his candidacy for president. I later wrote a related book in 2021, called

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.”

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 are people voting 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

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,” as Hillary Clinton famously said in 2016, or as country bumpkins in red MAGA hats. Trump voters trend

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and

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. But they include others outside those demographic groups.

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, inform Trump voters’ choice.

1. Media distortion

Where those on the left see Trump’s many failings, those on the right may see what

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call

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, sometimes simply called TDS.

According to this line of 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

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and develop a passionate, perhaps illogical dislike of Trump.

I have also heard ********* Trump supporters argue, with no evidence, that such “fake news” media outlets, like CNN, are part of a

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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

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, but also people in law enforcement.

Some Trump supporters also see merit in his contention that

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, just like some see

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being persecuted.

2. Bread on the table, money in the bank

“Are you

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four years ago?”

For many Trump voters, the answer to Ronald Reagan’s famous question is clear: “No.”

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as one of tax cuts,

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and

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.

It is true that overall employment numbers and average pay

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. But for some Trump supporters, that economic boost pales in comparison to the massive surge in inflation during Biden’s term, with

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. While the

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, prices remain high – as voters are reminded of every day at the grocery store.

Polls also show that Trump has a strong lead over Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on how they would handle the economy, which is

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, especially Republicans.

3. A border invasion

Another reason some Americans want to vote for Trump: immigration.

Like inflation, the number of

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under Biden.

This massive influx of

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, dropped to its

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in July 2024. This happened after the Biden administration made it ******* for immigrants to

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at the U.S.-Mexico border, a policy measure that is in line with many Republicans’ approach.

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worried that “open borders” were part of a Democratic plot to expand liberals’ power by replacing ************* white people with nonwhite foreigners.

Trump has 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 recent – untrue –

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in Ohio.

In 2022, 82% of Republicans said they

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. Trump continues to tout his proposed solution, which includes shutting the border, building a wall and deporting

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who are living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

4. A proven record

Some Trump voters simply compare the records of Trump and Biden-Harris and find that the tally tilts firmly toward Trump.

And it’s not just about the economy and immigration.

There were no new wars under Trump. Biden-Harris, in contrast, are saddled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and *******’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. Trump supporters’ perception is that

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foot a large portion of the bill, even though other countries are also

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, and ******* is

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from the U.S.

I have found that Trump supporters also think he is better suited to deal with the

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of

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.

5. The MAGA bull in a china shop

While some Harris supporters lament Trump’s destruction of democracy and decency in politics, I have found that Trump voters see a charismatic MAGA bull in a china shop.

It is precisely because Trump is an

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– as he showed when he raised a fist after the

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against him in July – that he should be elected, his supporters believe.

Some even view him as

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– who will save the U.S. from a “******** left” apocalypse.

For such Trump stalwarts, MAGA is not simply a slogan. In the Trumpiverse, it is a movement to save an America that is on the brink of ********.

Read more:

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This article is republished from

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, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by:

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,

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Read more:

Alexander Hinton receives funding from the Rutgers-Newark Center for the Study of Politics and Race in America.

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#people #Trump #understand #MAGA #supporters #thinking

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