The Atlantic

Trump Supporters on What Would Change Their Minds

The president-elect’s coalition is composed of people with very different priorities—and that may pose a challenge for him.
Source: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

Last week, I explained how the Trump administration could exceed my expectations and asked Donald Trump supporters to lay down their own markers. What would it take for them to change their minds and stop supporting the president? The first batch of responses included two emails that stood out as particularly useful. Together, they illustrate political challenges that Trump will face as he tries to hold on to the very different sorts of supporters who form his coalition.

Brendan, an immigration hawk from Colorado, represents one part of Trump’s base:

I am a first time voter, 19, and Trump would have to back down on his campaign promises for me to not support him. I am already a bit nervous about some of his cabinet appointments, such as the Goldman Sachs bankers and the establishment neoconservatives like John Bolton he has chosen.

I feel like the wall, and his strong anti-illegal immigration stance, are his signature policy proposals, and. His anti-globalization policies and ideas are very important to my family and I as well.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic8 min readAmerican Government
The Most Consequential Recent First Lady
This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. The most consequential first lady of modern times was Melania Trump. I know, I know. We are supposed to believe it was Hillary Clinton, with her unbaked cookies
The Atlantic3 min readCrime & Violence
Donald Trump’s ‘Fraudulent Ways’ Cost Him $355 Million
A New York judge fined Donald Trump $355 million today, finding “overwhelming evidence” that he and his lieutenants at the Trump Organization made false statements “with the intent to defraud.” Justice Arthur Engoron’s ruling in the civil fraud case
The Atlantic7 min readAmerican Government
The Americans Who Need Chaos
This is Work in Progress, a newsletter about work, technology, and how to solve some of America’s biggest problems. Sign up here. Several years ago, the political scientist Michael Bang Petersen, who is based in Denmark, wanted to understand why peop

Related Books & Audiobooks