Trump’s Working Class Appeal

Why Trump’s Appeal Endures: Reflections on America’s Unresolved Divide

As Donald Trump approaches his second inauguration, America faces a reckoning with a reality that, in many ways, echoes the events of 2016 – Trump’s working class appeal. When Trump was first elected, I was among those shocked by the idea of a wealthy, nativist Republican from New York representing the working class—a group I once called my own.

Growing up in a working-class neighborhood in West Tulsa, Oklahoma, I intimately knew the struggles, resilience, and deeply held values of the people who make up what some now call “forgotten America.” Trump’s working class appeal can be attributed to his ability to speak to the concerns of forgotten America.

Over the years, I distanced myself from that life, embracing education and classical liberal ideals that eventually led me far from Oklahoma. Yet, as I watched my old community rally behind Trump in 2016 and now, again in 2024, I am reminded that my disconnect reflects a broader misunderstanding that divides our nation today.

I aim to explore why Trump’s message resonates so strongly with working-class Americans, especially in communities like mine as well as other diverse black and Latino working-class communities.

This isn’t about excusing harmful rhetoric or actions but understanding the frustrations and values driving those choices. In reflecting on these dynamics, I aim to bridge a gap in understanding and illuminate the challenges that must be faced if we are ever to overcome the deep divides in America.

Growing Up Working Class: “Forgotten America”

I spent my early years with the working class in West Tulsa, the setting of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. I witnessed firsthand the pride people felt in hard work, family, and cultural traditions—mostly centered around church, football, and the military. These values, deeply rooted in community and national pride, defined our neighborhood.

In West Tulsa, everyone was the working poor. Teachers, firefighters, policemen, and blue-collar laborers worked tirelessly to support their families. Life was hard, marked by suicides, drug addiction, and violence—a testament to the harsh economic conditions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, working-class Americans’ real wages have stagnated or declined since the early 1980s, especially as industries moved jobs overseas. This may help explain Trump’s working class appeal.

I escaped that life through education, eventually earning a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge. But in distancing myself from my roots, I realize now that I also distanced myself from the mindset I grew up with.

Trump’s Working Class Appeal

Despite his wealth and New York background, Trump tapped into the emotional and material concerns of white working-class Americans, a group I had begun to see as outdated, even intolerant. I underestimated the persistent power of the values I grew up with and the myths people clung to. Trump didn’t make that mistake. He knew that pride in God, family, and country would resonate in a way that the progressive messages of other candidates didn’t.

Trump’s working class appeal, in part, lies in his ability to stoke anger and frustration over fundamental issues. The white working class felt invisible, reduced to a punchline in the media. As noted in a report by the Economic Policy Institute, wages for low- and middle-income households have been largely stagnant since the late 1970s. At the same time, the cost of living has steadily increased. Trump’s messaging, even if divisive, gave voice to their frustrations and offered a way to reclaim dignity.

In 2024, Trump expanded his base by connecting with black and Latino working-class communities. His success this time points to a gap in progressive efforts to understand and address working-class struggles across racial lines. Too often, those efforts have been obscured by a focus on identity politics, language policing, and cancel culture—strategies that, though rooted in a genuine desire for inclusivity, have unintentionally alienated many working-class Americans.

For example, after the 2016 election, progressives embraced terms like “Latinx” to promote gender inclusivity. However, only 4% of Hispanics use this term, and 75% say it should never be used, according to Pew Research.

While well-meaning, these approaches sometimes feel imposed rather than reflective of the real needs and identities within working-class communities. To many, this emphasis on symbolic language over substantive solutions comes across as out of touch with people’s daily challenges.

The progressive movement has the power to bridge divides, but only if it reconnects with the material needs of working-class communities. Progressives can forge connections across differences by prioritizing policies that directly improve people’s lives—jobs, healthcare, and housing—and strengthening their message of unity. Focusing on actionable change could bring us closer to a vision of inclusivity that feels relevant and accessible for all Americans.

The Impact of Economic and Cultural Changes

Image of the Golden Driller, Tulsa, OK

Over the past four decades, economic policies like Reaganomics dismantled labor unions, off-shored jobs, and created a wealth gap that left working-class Americans struggling. In West Tulsa, the oil bust of the 1980s and the decline of industrial manufacturing compounded these challenges, stripping away the security that previous generations had relied on. We can see it in the data. According to the Pew Research Center, the median income of the middle class has declined significantly over the past few decades, fueling disillusionment.

Since 2016, this economic stagnation has persisted despite gains in the stock market and a low unemployment rate. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that GDP growth has been concentrated in urban areas, with smaller towns and rural communities seeing slight improvement. Additionally, jobs added in sectors like service and retail typically offer lower wages and fewer benefits than the manufacturing jobs that once supported working-class families. Again, this can help us better understand Trump’s working class appeal.

A 2023 report from the Economic Innovation Group noted that around 80% of counties in the U.S. still have not fully recovered from the Great Recession, with rural and working-class communities bearing the brunt of this economic divide. For these reasons, Trump’s working class appeal can also be found in rural America.

The Brookings Institution also highlights how, between 2016 and 2024, the cost of housing has risen dramatically, outpacing wage growth. According to their 2024 housing report, 50% of renters now spend over 30% of their income on rent, a sharp increase from a decade earlier. This housing burden disproportionately affects working-class Americans, who often have few financial resources for savings or investment. Another sound explanation for Trump’s working class appeal.

At the same time, cultural shifts were reshaping American values. The increasing visibility of multiculturalism and progressive social policies often felt threatening to people whose identities were built on traditional values. For many, the rhetoric of liberal elites criticizing the working class added insult to injury. Trump’s rise felt like an opportunity for them to say, “Hey, we matter, too.” This also helps to explain Trump’s working class appeal.

Why Trump’s Victory Was No Surprise in 2024

Donald Trump’s inauguration 2017

After Trump’s election in 2016, I initially asked, “What are they thinking?“ But I quickly remembered that I knew exactly what they were thinking. My neighborhood’s values had been grounded in a kind of nativist pride—an unwavering belief that no one would take care of us except each other.

For many, the phrase “Don’t forget where you came from” wasn’t just advice; it was a defense against a world that dismissed their values as relics of the past. This mindset and feelings of exclusion built a foundation of loyalty that Trump successfully tapped into.

Moreover, the portrayal of “white privilege“ often seemed absurd to the people in my community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the majority of the poor in America are white, a fact that complicates the simplistic narrative of privilege and speaks to the complexity of American socio-economic divides. Further, it reveals why Trump’s fear-mongering is so effective when he claims illegal immigrants are coming to take the jobs of “real Americans” and destroy their communities.

They’re taking our jobs. They’re taking our money. They’re taking our welfare. They’re taking our jobs. They’re taking our manufacturing jobs.
— Donald Trump, October 2016, during a rally in Florida.

My Own Biases and the Need for Compassion

Reflecting on the 2016 election and my reaction to it was humbling. In 2024, it was no surprise he was reelected, given that the progressive left failed even to consider rural or working-class Americans over the last 8 years as they pursued cancel culture over real solutions. In 2016, I had fallen into the mindset that led many others to misunderstand working-class Americans, patronizing them in my assumptions. Today, I attempt to advocate for the people I left behind.

In the first election of Trump in 2016, I attributed the working class’s choices to ignorance rather than recognizing their real frustrations and hopes. I’ve learned that bias isn’t a one-way street and that we all carry perspectives that shape our understanding of each other.

Moving forward, I continue to embrace empathy and work to understand all Americans’ stories, hardships, and values. This doesn’t mean excusing harmful rhetoric or actions but holding space for compassion and striving to build bridges in a divided nation.

I still believe that Trump’s working-class appeal will continue to enable him to exploit the working class successfully while funneling the rewards to the new oligarchy—big businesses and billionaires like Elon Musk. 

Trump will begin his second term with planned tax cuts for corporations and the rich within the first 100 days. He may also fundamentally reshape the economy to echo the vast economic inequality, political corruption, and rise of powerful monopolies that defined the Gilded Age in the late 19th Century. If he enacts tariffs, the working class better buckle up because they’ll be f*cked. America will, too, if it fails to address the concerns of the people in rural and working-class communities.

The Way Forward: Finding Unity in Our Shared Humanity

Self-reflection is challenging but essential. As long as we’re divided by assumptions, fear, and judgment, we remain susceptible to populist authoritarians like Trump, figures who exploit our divisions for their gain.

Once again, Trump’s 2024 success reminds me of the importance of connection and understanding. For America to thrive, we must move beyond our echo chambers and engage in honest conversations across our differences.

We can learn from Trump’s working-class appeal. But, we must all recognize our biases, uncover our blind spots, and work together to create an inclusive future. America’s strength has always come from its diversity of ideas, beliefs, and experiences, including rural and working-class communities—the backbone of America.

Let’s remember that our struggles are interwoven and that, in the end, we’re all “West Siders” in some way. We need to have each other’s backs—now more than ever.

~

References

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Real Earnings.” U.S. Department of Labor. September 2024. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/realer.pdf.
2. Economic Policy Institute. “Wage Stagnation in Nine Charts.” Economic Policy Institute. January 6, 2015. https://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/.
3. Pew Research Center. “The American Middle Class Is Losing Ground.” Pew Research Center, 2020. December 9, 2015. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/01/16/what-the-middle-class-loses-when-the-rich-pull-further-ahead/.
4. Pew Research Center. “Latinx Awareness Has Doubled Among U.S. Hispanics Since 2019, but Only 4% Use It.” Pew Research Center, September 12, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/09/12/latinx-awareness-has-doubled-among-u-s-hispanics-since-2019-but-only-4-percent-use-it/.
5. U.S. Census Bureau. “Income in the United States: 2021.” U.S. Census Bureau, September 2022. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2022/demo/p60-276.html.
6. Economic Innovation Group. “The New Map of Economic Growth and Recovery.” Economic Innovation Group, 2023. May 9, 2022. https://eig.org/growth-and-recovery/.
7. Brookings Institution. “Is the Rent ‘Too Damn High’? Or Are Incomes Too Low?” Brookings Institution, 2024. December 19, 2017. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2024/01/15/is-the-rent-too-damn-high-or-are-incomes-too-low/.