Princeton University professor Eddie Glaude suggests that a significant factor behind the white Americans’ support for President-elect Donald Trump is their apprehension about safeguarding the concept of “whiteness” in the United States.
During his appearance on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle,” Glaude shared his thoughts on the topic of whether “identity politics is silencing.”
In recent days, I’ve noticed a trend on my social media feed where people are proudly expressing their support for Trump. It’s interesting to see how some individuals who may not have previously shown their allegiance to him are now proudly displaying Trump signs in the suburbs. This shift in sentiment is quite remarkable and worth paying attention to.
Glaude’s response highlighted the fact that “Trumpism” can be seen as a form of identity politics. He emphasized the need to acknowledge that statements like “my beautiful white skin,” as previously stated by Trump, contribute to this narrative.
Glaude also pointed out Tucker Carlson’s remarks at Madison Square Garden, where he expressed the sentiment of no longer feeling guilty or being made to feel guilty about certain issues related to “woke-ism.” This sentiment aligns with the idea of not wanting to be replaced.
Ruhle interjected with a differing viewpoint, stating that many Americans, regardless of whether they have closely followed Trump and his supporters’ public statements, are primarily concerned about the state of the economy and believe that the president-elect is the most suitable person to address and improve it.
According to Glaude, he acknowledges Ruhle’s perspective. However, he explains how the racial composition of the country has evolved over time, leading to anxiety among white Americans. Although they still constitute the majority population, their numbers have decreased in the past decade.
“I understand their perspective, but I believe they have a perception that whenever the country’s lack of coherence becomes evident, there is a strategic maneuver to unite under the concept of whiteness, which can resist any challenges.
The economic turmoil is attributed to the interference of a big government, which is allegedly redistributing resources from the deserving to the undeserving. This perception arises from the fear that whiteness is being threatened,” Glaude explained, highlighting the increasing diversity in television representation.
“The changing demographics of the country can be disorienting, with the portrayal of racially ambiguous children in Cheerios commercials causing confusion.”
Stephanie Ruhle attempted to emphasize her belief that Americans voted because of the high cost of living. However, Eddie Glaude interjected once again, questioning why voters would choose someone like Trump, who has a controversial and troubled history, including 34 indictments and a felony conviction.
Stephanie, you’re telling me that all these people who think bread and eggs are too expensive actually voted for a convicted felon? They supported a guy who made derogatory remarks and said, “we can grab the p .” Unbelievable.
According to Ruhle, there are plenty of individuals who either do not keep up with news regarding Trump or have no interest in politics whatsoever.
“I’m not trying to defend it, but I believe there are many individuals who simply don’t pay attention to politics,” Ruhle acknowledged. “Even though we reside in the most prosperous nation on Earth, people are expressing feelings of unfairness, struggling to make progress, and facing challenges such as adult children living at home and difficulty finding employment.
They are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs and are seeking change, and that’s where he found support.” Glaude concluded his remarks by expressing his belief to Ruhle that she might be hesitant to acknowledge the underlying motivation behind the voting decisions of many white Americans.
“I have deep affection for you, but I find it hard to accept that belief. It’s difficult for me to believe because I think you refuse to acknowledge the true motivation behind their actions,” Glaude expressed. “This is a common occurrence, where people choose not to see the true nature of our country.
If we do acknowledge it, we would have to face the uncomfortable truth about ourselves. Personally, I don’t believe that. They voted for a corrupt individual, someone who they are fully aware is undermining the country they claim to love.
And now, they try to justify it by blaming it on economic reasons. We all know that’s not the truth. We are well aware that it goes deeper than that, and it’s disheartening that we have to raise our children in such circumstances.”
On Tuesday night, Donald Trump officially became the President-elect after securing 51% of the popular vote, which translates to a staggering 71,960,302 votes. Let’s delve into the voter turnout across different racial and gender demographics.
TheWrap reports that according to a Princeton professor, white Americans voted for Trump because they perceive their whiteness to be threatened.
