I’m trying to better understand why a decent number of people in the US seem to support a second Trump presidency. I’m sure there are many factors influencing different kinds of supporters (from the billionaires to the working class). Are there any good books (or even documentaries, anything longer form preferably with data) on why Trump has so much support in America?
Yeah, that whole secure southern border, lower taxes, no new wars, new peace deals signed (Abraham Accords), much better economy (1.4% inflation) would be terrible...
The better question would be, considering the wreckage of the past 3 1.2 years, why would anyone vote against their own best interests and vote Democrat?
Here's a recent viral post that goes over the surface level reasons for a lot of people, including back in 2020. I couldn't find the original, but the author is linked in there: https://x.com/phucdatbichcafe/status/1814657829027872804
For a more substantive analysis, I don't think there is one definitive source. I'm not sure which sources to start with, really. So it's more about a general research and watching, reading many different sources.
The explanation has something to do with the understanding that Americans do not feel represented by the American political establishment, understanding that the American political establishment and the military industrial complex are prioritizing the expansion of a kind of empire and/or influence around the world, at the expense of the citizens who pay taxes. Americans pay hundreds of billions to influence the world, but large cities are falling apart with crime, homelessness, etc.
Trump comes into the picture because he is challenging this status quo... he is not doing so in a traditional political way... because that "game" is already rigged. If you don't hack into the political game, no candidate outside of "the machine" will ever win. Trump achieved hacking this machine by being a kind of political "character" and out-playing the establishment's tactics, however the cost of doing this is that many people who don't understand this will see it as disrespectful and harmful to politics. Then his policies reflect a moderate stance that at the very least slows down the aggressive expansion of the "empire", while attempting to fix a few things at home.
That's a lot, but it doesn't even scratch the surface. I suspect this is part of the reason there are information bubbles. There is so much information that cannot really be disseminated efficiently. It's hard to talk about this and so it's hard to come to a wider consensus.
I was told this book by Stripe Press is unofficially about the rise of Trump: https://press.stripe.com/the-revolt-of-the-public
That's what got me to start reading it recently
Looks like they've added an analysis of his rise to presidency in an updated version
Imagine someone having an opinion other than yours...
I went to a book site and grabbed some titles, newest first. Only books by the likes of Tucker Carlson and Alan Dershowitz were omitted, as were books on how to prosecute Trump. These seem to address the "how" and "why", and some of the collateral damage.
How Autocrats Seek Power; Resistance to Trump and Trumpism, Richard L. Abel
Trump and Hitler: A Comparative Study in Lying, Henk De Berg
People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account, Mark Pomerantz
Tired of Winning : Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party, Jonathan Karl
American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times, André Gagné
Why Didn’t Evangelicals “See Him Coming”?: Donald J. Trump’s Deception and Dismantling of American Democracy, Paul A. Pomerville
The Origins and Development of the Destructive Politics of Trump and Trumpism: The Destructive Politics of American Fascism, Andrew Kolin
Tyranny from Plato to Trump: Fools, Sycophants, and Citizens, Andrew Fiala
Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, Maggie Haberman
Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics, Michael Cohen
Trump and Mussolini: Images, Fake News, and Mass Media as Weapons in the Hands of Two Populists, Anna Camaiti Hostert, Enzo Antonio Cicchino
Not directly about Trump but this will help you understand the foundation.
Strangers in Their Own Land
By Hochschild
The Cult of Trump was pretty good I think.
This guy named JD Vance had a bit to say about it in 2016
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/opioid-...