The fact that a person like Donald Trump can receive more than two or three percent of the vote is an enigma that I have pondered for the past eight years. There is nothing clever or shrewd about the man. In fact, the opposite is true — he is transparently stupid, vulgar and corrupt. Why, then, are so many unable to see this? Or do they see it and simply care. Do they not know what stupid looks like, or do they understand that he is stupid yet feel that his lack of intelligence is less important than his political agenda? Do they not see that he is corrupt, or do they assume that all politicians are corrupt? How much thought does the average citizen give to their preferred candidate? What am I missing?
While I still do not have a simple answer to any of these questions, after speaking with and listening to numerous Trump voters over the years — including friends, neighbors, colleagues, extended family members, and casual acquaintances — I have noticed a pattern. It seems that there three tiers of commitment to Donald Trump — those that merely vote for him, those that support him conditionally, and those that are devoted followers. Obviously, the boundaries between these groups are imprecise, likely somewhat porous, and potentially apply to any candidate of either party. Nevertheless, in the case of Trump, these distinctions appear to be particularly pronounced.
The Trump Voter
When I refer to the “Trump voter”, I am describing someone who merely casts a vote for Donald Trump. This category excludes the more committed Trump supporters and Trump followers, although they obviously vote for him as well. The Trump voter has the lowest level of commitment to candidate Trump. The majority would describe their support as pragmatic and policy driven, possibly determined by a single issue, such as abortion, or simply a longstanding commitment to the Republican Party.
While the “Trump voter” is not a Trump loyalist and has no emotional attachment to the man, he or she may be fiercely loyal to the Republican Party or committed to a specific issue and, as long as he continues to represent those priorities, will vote for Donald Trump regardless of anything he says or does. Because the majority of Trump voters are lifelong Republicans, they will very likely continue to support Republican candidates after Trump has left the scene.
The Trump Follower
At the opposite extreme is the Trump follower. These are the fiercely loyal believers that attend the rallies and provide the media with some of the most memorable and asinine quotes praising Donald Trump. Trump followers exhibit a devotion to the man that borders on the religious. These are the people who believe that Trump skillfully managed the COVID pandemic and insist that the January 6th Capitol insurrectionists were the “good guys”.
“Trump followers” do not simply approve of his policies, they revere him as a symbol of their values and beliefs. To them, Donald Trump is a cultural icon who is never wrong and always speaks the truth. If something he says seems foolish or incoherent, it is only because they lack the intellectual sophistication to grasp the brilliance of the man. Their loyalty is unconditional and questioning anything the leader does or says is forbidden. If Donald Trump declared that “shit is chocolate”, the Trump follower would demand to know where they can get some. The “Trump follower” is fiercely loyal to the man and would readily abandon the Republican Party if Trump were to leave the party and pursue office as an independent or third-party candidate.
Oddly, the majority of the Trump followers that I have spoken to were previously apolitical. I suspect that many may abstain from participating in any future elections in which Trump is not on the ballot, as has already happened in both the 2018 and 2022 midterms. If true, the Trump follower will effectively be lost to the post-Trump GOP.
The Trump Supporter
Somewhere in between the Trump voter and Trump follower is the Trump supporter. These are the people that, although willing to acknowledge his flaws, believe that Donald Trump is best qualified to lead this country. They may be willing to defend his policies, however controversial, yet they are less committed to defending the man himself.
A “Trump supporter” will often justify their allegiance with the argument that the “other guy” is worse. Like the Trump voter, their commitment is generally pragmatic. Unlike the Trump voter, however, party loyalty is less relevant. Like the Trump followers, the Trump supporters may display pro-Trump yard signs and may even be somewhat vocal about their support. Unlike Trump followers, however, Trump supporters generally do not attend rallies or regard themselves as part of a movement.
The fate of Trump supporters in a post-Trump America is uncertain. Surprisingly, a significant number of Trump supporters that I have known are former Democrats. While I suspect that many will be unwilling to switch parties anytime soon because they have internalized so much anti-Democrat propaganda, they may feel less motivated to participate in future elections.
Why These Distinctions Matter
The people who voted Donald Trump into office represent opposing degrees of loyalty to him as an individual and to the Republican Party. At one extreme are the issue voters and party loyalists who have no emotional investment in Trump, while at the other extreme are the Trump fanatics that are only marginally attached to the GOP. Trump is most vulnerable near the center of these intersecting trends where the Trump supporters are found.
The “Trump voter” is primarily focused on specific issues and party loyalty and, thus, is less concerned about competence and character. Criticisms of Donald Trump, no matter how valid, are dismissed as irrelevant because they are voting for the policies rather than the person. As long as Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, they are unlikely to vote for any other candidate.
At the other end of the Trump spectrum, the “followers” are entrenched extremists that regard Trump as infallible and will tolerate no criticism of the man. As long as the candidate is named “Donald Trump”, they are very unlikely to vote for anyone else.
The greatest opportunity to influence opinion lies in the middle with the Trump “supporters”. Many, at least in my experience, are former Democrats and their attachment to Trump is conditional. They are not hostile to alternative viewpoints and may even admit to occasional embarrassment at their support for Trump. Criticism that focuses on Trump’s failings in leadership, ethics, or effectiveness are more likely to resonate with this group, prompting them to reconsider their support.
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