In 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton used this unfortunate phrase to describe Donald Trump's supporters: “a basket of deplorables.” If there are a lot of unfriendly people in this electorate, the formula was crude and simple.
There is great diversity among Trump's supporters. If the courts forced him to resign, the person who replaced him would not be able to escape Trumpism. This trend is entrenched whether Trump is there or not.
As a heterogeneous ensemble
It was founded in 2017 Democracy Fundthrough his organization Voting Study Groupgrouped Trump voters into five broad categories.
First of all, we find a group of ardent conservatives. Guardians of traditional morality and somewhat nativist, they are loyal to the Republican Party. These are predominantly male voters with average or higher education.
These conservatives are joined by a group characterized by their rejection of elites. They are quick to condemn the system and believe that the entire political class is corrupt. Surprisingly, they are more economically advanced, attend fewer churches, and own fewer guns. Because they come from the middle class, they may be tempted by the Democratic Party.
For their part, “conservatists” are less educated than the average American and are also among the lowest-income people. Their knowledge of the issues and the fundamentals of politics is worse than that of other Trump supporters. When it comes to immigration, they are just as radical as the conservatives.
To free market supporters, they are the most educated, richest and most informed Trump supporters. Even the most skeptical! They focus their efforts on the economy and promote free trade. This group is not afraid of immigration, but is also open to the demands of the LGBTQ+ community.
The fifth category, the disengaged, represents only 5% of all supporters of the Republican candidate. Because we cannot be mobilized and are very poorly informed, we sometimes manage to join them by promising to overthrow the elites, curb immigration and ban Muslims from entering the country.
A possible approach?
Contrary to what is sometimes said, Trump's electorate is more complex than the caricature made of it. There is more than just “angry white men.”
Whether certain Republican opponents of Trump or the Democrats, they are often criticized for neglecting the former president's supporters and no longer knowing how to talk to them. However, you should know that overall they are the least willing to compromise (Pew Research Center, October 2023). How do you build a dialogue?
We must find the answer to this question if we are to woo or break a group of important voters.
