In 2016, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton used this unfortunate phrase to describe Donald Trump’s supporters: “a basket of deplorables”. If there are many unfriendly individuals in this electorate, the formula was crude and simplistic.
There is great diversity among Trump’s followers. If the courts forced him to step down, the person who relieved him would not be able to escape Trumpism. This trend is rooted, whether Trump is there or not.
As a heterogeneous ensemble
Already in 2017, the foundation Democracy Fundthrough his organization Vote Study Groupgrouped Trump voters into five broad categories.
First of all, we find a group of fervent conservatives. Guardians of traditional morality and a tad nativist, they are loyal to the Republican Party. These are mainly male voters whose education is average or higher.
Added to these conservatives is a group that stands out for its rejection of elites. They are quick to condemn the system and believe that the entire political class is corrupt. Surprisingly, they are more economically progressive, attend fewer churches, and own fewer guns. Coming from the middle class, they could be tempted by the Democratic Party.
The “preservatists” are for their part less educated than the average American and they are also found among those with the lowest incomes. Their knowledge of the issues and the nuts and bolts of politics is inferior to that of other Trump supporters. On the issue of immigration, they are as radical as the conservatives.
For free marketers, they are the most educated, wealthiest and best informed of Trump’s supporters. The most skeptical too! They focus their efforts on the economy and promote free trade. This group does not fear immigration, just as it is open to the demands of the LGBTQ+ community.
The 5th category, that of the disengaged, represents only 5% of all supporters of the Republican candidate. Reluctant to mobilize and very poorly informed, we sometimes manage to join them by promising to overthrow the elites, to curb immigration and to ban Muslims from entering the country.
A possible rapprochement?
Contrary to what is sometimes said, Trump’s electorate is more complex than the caricature that is made of it. There are more than “angry white men”.
Whether it is certain Republican opponents of Trump or the Democrats, they are often accused of neglecting the supporters of the former president, of no longer knowing how to speak to them. However, you should know that overall, they are the least open to compromise (Pew Research Center, October 2023). How to establish dialogue?
We will have to find the answer to this question if we wish to court or dismantle a group of essential voters.
