Scared, Resentful, Destitute Hillbillies?

Abstract

This chapter reviews and critiques the conventional wisdom that fervent Trump supporters are distinguished by their demographic, personality, and emotional profiles. The standard narrative, drawn in part from 2016 exit polls, asserts that Trump supporters are old, male, white, uneducated, poor, rural, religious, neurotic, bitter, angry, resentful, adrift, and fearful, but this chapter suggests that although several of the demographic claims have some truth, many Trump supporters are in fact female, college educated, suburban, and well to do. With regard to personality and emotions, Trump supporters are not as neurotic as liberals and actually rank lower than those with other political orientations on most negative emotions, including bitterness, anger, resentment, and fear. Compared to those who do not like Trump, many fervid Trump supporters appear to be less threatened by most aspects of life with the possible exception of outsiders.