Trump’s Appeal Going into the 2020 Election

No sooner was it clear that Trump had come to be taken seriously on the U.S. political stage that people started to rack their brains: how is this even remotely possible?  Supremely vulgar, ignorant, and blatantly dishonest, what was his appeal?

Apparently, the common American was convinced that Trump would protect their jobs from illegal immigration, remove the bloat of big government, and break the yoke of crooked bankers–and that these actions collectively would propel the working class into a new level of affluence.

Fast-forward almost four years, however, and none of this has happened.  Even before the pandemic, the financial plight of the rank and file Trump supporter had changed very little.  But now, 30 million people are currently receiving government unemployment benefits—about 20% of American workers.  During a single week in July, 6.9 million filed claims, the highest number ever recorded; the previous record was 695,000 claims  during one week in 1982.  More than 20% of businesses that were open in January are closed either temporarily or permanently.

Sure, Trump’s deceitful and ultimately botched handling of the pandemic has been terrible on American workers, but it’s really just the start.  Here’s a report from the Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C., that carries out economic research and analyzes the economic impact of policies and proposals.  It’s called “50 Reasons the Trump Administration is bad for workers.”

OK, so what’s preventing Trump’s support levels from crashing through the floor?

Before you answer that, consider something in addition–that Trump is running on the promise that he’ll permanently end the payroll tax, the basis of social security.  People like the woman shown above paid into the system throughout their entire careers, and now, in their golden years, expect to take out at least some of what they laid out decades earlier.  Shouldn’t that be a deal-breaker for Trump?  Apparently not.  He carries an appeal even stronger than food and shelter.

What could it be?  Check out the (hypothetical) conversation that the woman is having with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, by far Trump’s most important congressional ally.  That says it all.