Despite Trump's Actions Against Marginalized Communities, Many Still Support Him

Author's note: This is a throwback article written in November 2020, after the election.

A New York Times report from Edison Research for the National Election Poll provides greater insights into the demographic makeup of voters in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Data was gathered from over 15,000 voters as they exited the polls. Unsurprisingly, Biden had more support from voters of color, but it seems Trump had a lot of support from Latinx voters in Florida and Texas. Two very interesting trends to note when comparing 2016 voters to 2020 voters: Trump’s support from white men declined while his support from white women increased. In 2016, 62% of white men voted for Trump but that number declined to 58% in 2020. Reports estimate that about 52% of white women voted for Trump in 2016 compared to 55% of white women in 2020.

           One of the primary issues that has overshadowed Trump’s presidency is his failure to denounce and distance himself from white supremacists. Many criticized Trump’s response of the violence that erupted in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia between neo-Nazis and counter protesters. Rather than directly admonishing the white supremacists and neo-Nazis who were responsible for the killing of a 32-year-old woman Heather Heyer, Trump remarked that there were “some very fine people on both sides.” In June, Trump retweeted a video that featured a supporter shouting “white power” and his failure to outright condemn white supremacy in the presidential debate left many uneasy. When asked about systemic racism, Trump indicated that he doesn’t believe it exists. The administration has recently restricted anti-racism training calling it “anti-American propaganda.” The Trump administration has also been criticized because of white supremacist ideology espoused by some members.

Examining Trump’s record before his presidency provides additional evidence of a checkered past. In 1973, Trump was sued by the Justice Department for discrimination against Black tenants. A former employee of Trump’s from the 1980s claims that Trump did not like Black people working on the main floor of his casino. In 1989, Trump took out a full-page ad to encourage the death penalty for the Central Park Five, a group of Black and Latino men, who were boys at the time when they were wrongfully accused of assaulting and raping a white female jogger in Central Park.

           Given the overwhelming evidence of Trump’s unwillingness to reject white supremacy, the issue has become a central focus of his presidency. Even if every negative claim about Trump was false, the fact that he is unable to condemn white supremacy is further driving a wedge through the country and creating more polarization while also emboldening those who embrace these racist ideologies. The civil unrest that erupted following the killing of George Floyd has put racial justice at the forefront of the national conversation. Many have been awakened to a new reality of awareness and understanding of how the marginalized have continued to be harmed by systems and structures within the country. Because of the exorbitant amount of public commitments and pledges that were made by white Americans in the summer of 2020, one would assume that issues of racial justice and equity would be at the forefront of the voter’s mind. Millions of people posted Black squares to stand in solidarity for Black lives yet could somehow rationalize that xenophobia and racism was not a big enough deal breaker when choosing leadership. A person who has blatantly discriminated against Black Americans, disparaged women and has a checkered past was not a major issue for millions of white voters. It’s clear that the feigned concern displayed on social media was simply a performative measure to stroke one’s ego.

It’s important to unpack the aforementioned voting trends by gender. While Trump lost some support from white men, his support from white women has remained strong. One would assume that because women experience gender bias and discrimination, there would be less support for a candidate who has said and done harmful things to marginalized groups, including individuals with disabilities and the LGBTQIA+ community. These voting trends indicate that white women were able to put gender issues aside and vote based on their personal interests despite how it may impact communities of color. These numbers further complicate the relationship between white women and women of color. A commitment to white feminism, or “efforts and actions that uplift white women but that exclude or otherwise fail to address issues faced by minority groups, especially women of color and LGBTQ women,” may explain voting trends. Failure to adopt an intersectional feminist approach allows white supremacy to be upheld. Writer and public lecturer Rachel Cargle has said that “white feminism is white supremacy in heels.” These voting trends highlight a stark contrast from the attitudes of many white women during the summer who claimed they were committed to doing the work of unlearning racism and adopting an intersectional mindset. Black squares and empty promises don’t matter when you’re voting against the interests of those you are trying to advocate for. Part of allyship involves considering how your actions affect others. Racial equity and gender equity will continue to evade Americans if the country is not willing to assess why it feels like racism is not a big enough issue to vote against.

This article was originally published in Forbes in November 2020.

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