In Sweden, many are surprised that an inexperienced politician and rabble-rouser in the United States could get the support of more Americans than any other former president. It is then not an unusual perception that it is deeply conservative, uninformed, ignorant and limited people, who often belong to the Christian right wing people and hate the political establishment in Washington etc. who are Trump’s supporters. There is some truth in this, but it is not the whole picture of a USA, where the contradictions in society have been really screwed up due to development over a few decades.
So who are Trump’s supporters? There’s a very broad mix of people on the right who traditionally vote for Republicans and their policies. Those we usually call authoritarian traditionalists and nationalists, who do not have to like Trump, but mainly his policies. There are many Trump supporters who are at the lower economic level in society, who do not like the large immigration to the United States and believe that this threatens their jobs and livelihoods. They like Trump’s criticism of the large-scale immigration, not infrequently illegal, from Central and South America and his idea of building a wall against Mexico – even if he failed to fully implement it.
They are groups that are economically and socially disadvantaged, such as the Rust Belt, the coal fields and many communities in rural areas, including the Midwest, which have lagged behind in development, for example because things are bad for farmers and small businesses. The New York Times has shown that Trump received the most votes in economically vulnerable and problematic areas where jobs are threatened. People there experience status losses and feel that their jobs and livelihoods are threatened by developments in the country. They are generally skeptical of the high-tech developments that modern cities on the east and west coasts represent. And they do not like diversity! There is a huge difference between Trumps areas and urban Democrats areas. Trump also maintains the advantage that all Republicans currently have in most Southern states.
These people do not like at all the liberal development in society with LGBTQ movements, BLM, feminism, abortions, same-sex marriage and homosexuals. Social conservatives are particularly motivated to vote Republican based on these social issues. These voters, especially include Evangelical Christians and many pro-life Catholics. There also is a strong anti-feminist sentiment that’s especially strong among older white males. They see themselves threatened by the fact that whites are becoming a minority in many parts of the United States. They also feel valued by the mainstream media and hung out as conservative, ignorant idiots. These people distrust or even hate the political establishment in Washington. Their living conditions, perspectives on life, values and morals are in stark contrast to the liberal, urban middle class, who are usually Democrats. Simplified, these people perceive that the Republicans stand for the foot soldiers, the grassroots, while the Democrats are the liberal, urban middle class party, which the statistics show. Here are some similarities with how it is in Sweden with the Sweden Democrats and their supporters.
But those who vote for the Republicans and Trump (perhaps mainly because they usually vote for the Republicans) are also farmers, small business owners and officials of many kinds, who, for example, have benefited from Trump’s tax reform. There are, of course, many individual reasons for voting in a certain way, but it is uninteresting as we try to understand movements in society.
Trump has demonstrated his presidential power by independently making a number of decisions right from the start of his presidency, the so-called presidential order – even though the Republicans had a majority in Congress. However, it has not always been so willing to accept Trump’s reform proposals.
Trump’s supporters generally like the deregulation Trump has implemented in the climate area, which has facilitated the coal industry, oil and gas extraction, terminated the Paris Agreement and generally shown that he does not believe that man has created climate change. He has opened areas for hunting and fishing, which is liked by the rural population, opened areas in national forests – and even national parks. Big capitalists like the deregulation, which help them maximize profits. Other supporters from lower-income classes tend to distrust science (versus religion) and believe right-wing media stories that climate change is a “hoax.”
Trump has issued a presidential order that would temporarily stop all immigration to the United States from citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen on the grounds that it would stop the influx of prospective terrorists. This fear has been whipped up by the right-wing media. Depending on the ”nine eleven” and later terrorist attacks, there is a fear in the United States of Islamic jihadists and terrorists, which must be taken with sharp gloves. The migration ban was implemented in a modified form without the inclusion of Iraq.
During Trump’s time, the deportation of the undocumented has increased and zero tolerance has been introduced for illegally crossing the southern border of the United States. Strengthened border guards and continued construction of a wall along the border with Mexico would manifest this. Trump has inspired authoritarian leaders in the world, such as Duterte, Kaczynski, Orban, Netanyahu, etc., who dare to tighten the thumbscrews against dissidents and pursue a tough conservative policy.
In foreign policy, Trump has questioned alliances such as NATO and multilateral cooperation such as the UN. Free trade agreements have been torn up or renegotiated. ”America First” has, among other things, meant giving the United States economic benefits. Trump has rescinded the NAFTA agreement and concluded a new USMCA free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that gives the United States better terms. Trump is uninterested in governing according to the usual, liberal world order, which prevailed after World War II, but instead prioritizes bilateral relations and agreements.
The United States has abandoned the Iran agreement and reintroduced economic sanctions against Iran. Recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US Embassy there. Had a harsh rhetoric against China for what he believes were unfair trade conditions, as well as against North Korea for its nuclear weapons program and even threatened to wipe out the country.
In domestic politics, he has appointed Conservative judges Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and numerous conservative judges around the country. For many social conservatives, anti-feminists & pro-lifers, this is the single most important factor. Trump has fired many officials and staff, whom he has become dissatisfied with, such as FBI Director James Comey, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Secretary of State Sean Spicer, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and many more. He implemented a tax reform that lowered corporation tax and lowered the limit on maximum income tax, benefiting high-income earners and entrepreneurs. With this, he has created a budget deficit of seven billion dollars, which is not a problem for those who are not interested in a strong federal state.
It is far from all his reforms that were immediately liked by all Republicans and Trump supporters, but giving the United States economic benefits, cracking down on immigration and Muslims, showing tough tackles on North Korea, China and Iran, supporting Israel, criticizing and changing the many of the United States commitments in the world, appointing conservative judges and criticizing the mainstream media, the establishment in Washington and the like, are things that his supporters like.
They also like the fact that Trump has in rhetoric been harsh on China, which they see as an economic threat. The termination of the nuclear deal with Iran has given strong support to Israel, while he is criticizing Muslims and began by stopping the entry of a number of Arab states. This coincides with the views of the Christian right, from which he receives support. America First means, among other things, that the United States should not be a world police force with commitments everywhere in the world, but first and foremost look after its own house. Conservative media such as Fox News, the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal and hundreds of other conservative media have done much to support Trump and his policies.
His hard line, he is a rabble-rouser and attitude towards the big media houses is something they appreciate. We may think that Trump is an aggressive, demagogic leader, whose rhetorical style is discouraging rather than appreciated. But his followers like this! They want a strong, active leader, who puts opponents in place and has the ability to enforce their will and deal with the country’s problems and threat. Trump has managed to take advantage of this and his rhetorical style resonates with supporters. He pretends to be the one who can avert the threats to the country and its citizens, who come both from outside China and the Muslim world called Iran and from within which are liberal media, the university-educated, urban middle class and the political establishment in Washington. It has developed a certain cult of personality around the tough Trump, who really dares to speak out and knock down opponents in the boot, just as many of the most militant Trump supporters themselves want to do with liberal Democrats and intellectuals.
There are conditions in the United States that are not so often mentioned in this country. The election of Obama increased the controversy in the country. Conservative groups see Obama as a typical intellectual academic from the East Coast and also black. They were very critical of a black man becoming president and for that reason they went further and further to the right. Trump could profit from this. And it was no less provocative that the Democrats launched a woman as a presidential candidate in addition Hillary Clinton, a feminist who was a red curtain in some circles. Clinton’s derogatory remarks about Trump’s supporters and voters as “deplorable” was a major tactical mistake that led to Trump gaining more votes. The election of Trump 2016 was in a way a powerful reaction against Obama and the Democrats. The same was true now where Trump has been able to take advantage of the criticism of blacks’ increased influence and especially BLM. The Republicans and Trump are seen by the Conservatives as a counterweight to these currents.
Prior to this election, Republicans have been actively working for a long time to get their voters to register. As is well known, turnout is usually low in the United States. In 2016, it was 55 percent, but this time it was the most in 120 years. As many as 160 million Americans voted, which means a turnout of 66.8 percent thanks to the mobilization of both Republicans and Democrats.
The described development in the USA, with a more divided society and fierce antagonisms between conservatives and liberals (the left has been reduced to marginality today) is found in many western societies, from Hungary and Poland to Sweden. Driving forces and factors in this can be summarized in Globalization in a broad sense. This is a severe pressure on the recipient countries and societies through the migration from underdeveloped countries and societies.
The basis for the migration movements is above all the skewed social development in the world, with highly developed, high-tech, modern welfare societies on the one hand and those who have far from kept up with this development, partly because the western world has exploited them and taken their resources. The main cause of migration is thus relative poverty in the countries of emigration – people moving! These conditions have become increasingly apparent to the people of the underdeveloped countries through the digital revolution and the flow of information in the world. It is the experience of being neglected that has made lots of young people seek out the rich world to have a better life.
Due to the division of labor in society, it is the working class and other vulnerable people who are first affected by the fact that jobs are threatened by cheap migrant labor and / or a burden on social policy. With this comes distrust and resistance to migration and the foreign values, behaviors and culture that migrants carry. This can be summed up in the fact that one does not like diversity and strangers because it challenges and threatens habitual living conditions and the economy for the most competitive strata of society.
Another aspect of globalization is also economic, but in a different way. The western world is flooded with more or less cheap goods from China and others with cheap labor. Then manufacturing and production jobs have been threatened and hence the working-class resentment and scapegoating. The results in cheaper goods, which could be of interest to the working class as well, but when it simultaneously threatens domestic production and thus jobs for these people, it is not so interesting. If you do not have money, you cannot buy anything, even if it is cheap. In other words, the right-wing winds in the United States and Europe are a result of globalization.
The paradox is that a billionaire, tough capitalist and playboy from the east coast of urban Mecca, who himself benefits greatly from globalization, that he symbolizes the resistance and struggle of the working class and other vulnerable groups and social strata against globalism.
Trump’s personal success among voters depends on a number of factors. Trump is a famous personality through TV shows in which he participates. During the primary election in the Republicans, he led the program The Apprentice on NBC, owned a beauty contest and came out with a book Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again, which sold nearly 70,000 copies. His successes during the primary election campaigns led to the departure of key competitors Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The fact that Trump was subjected to an assassination attempt gave him sympathy, as did his tough statements about terrorism and what he wanted to do to stop illegal immigration.
Many elected Republicans are afraid to oppose and criticize Trump, as they fear they may not be allowed to continue as Republican candidates, so they are low even though they would have much to criticize Trump for. Trump has been very successful in collecting donations for his campaigns and has thus had a lot of money to invest in these. Trumps rhetorical skill goes home to people who want straightforward, simple, uncomplicated and tangible proposals for action. Trump has managed to hammer in that the country is facing serious threats, but he knows – just him! – how to tackle these. Some voters want a strong, charismatic, white leader with promising promises for strong political action. It benefits Trump that there are many Republican voters who vote for Republicans out of old habit and loyalty, whether they like Trump or not.
Kritikern Alf 