Poor People Who Voted For Trump Had No Idea What They Voted For

Some poor people who cast their votes for Donald Trump think that he will look out for their economic interests and not cut their benefits. They are very wrong.

The Daily is written by ordinary Americans in the heart of the nation who have experience and education in news and politics. We are a truly independent voice in a time of billionaires and corporate news. Please support our work by becoming a subscriber.

One of my core areas of study in academics was popular movements, or political movements that begin from the ground up. I spent two years studying and writing about poor people’s movements. Lower-income Americans have the ability to be one of the biggest political groups in the country but have been, throughout our history, among the most marginalized often vilified, and usually the first in line to be subjected to cuts to benefits and services when Republicans are in power.

In recent history, Americans who have less have been majority Democratic voters. Barack Obama carried these voters by 22 points. Hillary Clinton by 12 points, and Joe Biden by 11 points. In 2024, Kamala Harris lost them by 2 points.

Those voters who voted for Donald Trump don’t seem to understand what they voted for.

Here are some quotes from lower-income Pennsylvania voters who cast their ballots for Trump in a recent Washington Post piece:

“He is more attuned to the needs of everyone instead of just the rich,” Mosura, 55, said on a recent afternoon. “I think he knows it’s the poor people that got him elected, so I think Trump is going to do more to help us.”

…

Steve Tillia, 59, receives $1,600 a month in Social Security disability payments and $300 in food stamps to support himself and his son. Tillia, who said he is unable to work after suffering from mini strokes, still drives around New Castle with a Trump flag anchored on the bumper of his SUV.

Tillia said he’s confident that Trump and GOP leaders will reduce spending by “cutting the fat” out of government — and not slashing benefits.

“It’s not cutting government programs, it’s cutting the amount of people needed to run a program,” he said. “They are cutting staff, which could actually increase the amount of the programs that we get.”

The people quoted above aren’t stupid. They didn’t necessarily get these ideas from Fox News or conservative media or the other excuses that Democrats make.

These folks are desperate. They need help. They felt like they were not being heard and what the Biden administration was doing was not working for them in terms of keeping their heads above water, so they took a chance on Trump.

What they don’t understand is that the person they voted for holds nothing but contempt for them.