Can we separate Trump from his voters?

The best thing we can do during this tumultuous transition is listen and learn.

Ramon Ramirez

Posted on November 9, 2024 6:00am CST

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Here is the Trending team‘s main character of the week: It’s yours unhinged loved ones on Facebook.

Tuesday evening election Donald Trump to the presidency didn’t last long sparks sad, belligerentAnd panicked Facebook posts on my friends list. My sister-in-law got into a fight with her parents and left the group chat. I had an argument with my brother. My brother posted angrily and then apologized on his Facebook. The mother of a good friend of mine texted DIY images from her local polling place insinuating that the Democrats tried to steal the election. Friends from the city bragged about unfriending and unfollowing people from high school. My WhatsApp relatives sent crying emojis and/or made fun of Americans.

I don’t think that Donald Trump should be the president of the United States.

In 2016 I did felt betrayed by online friends who were critical of Democrats. They were therefore anti-establishment in their thinking that they did not vote, or outright sympathize with Trumpism. Opening my Facebook timeline brought on feelings of fear and anger towards my extensive connections. Even their “Clinton was a bad candidate” pundit over the armchair battle hurt.

But I am not going back to judge my people because we disagree.

Self-care separates Trump from his voters

While I disapprove of Trump’s racist statements about third world countries, fear its inner circle of enablers who harbor some of the most extreme ideas ever to seize power in the United States, and usually crying for the future of my immigrant, LGBTQ, and female friends, I don’t hate Trump’s apologists.

Within reason! Right-wing experts do susceptible to bad faith arguments rationalizing sexism and racism. I don’t like them. Fellow Austinite Joe Rogan positions itself as a champion of free speech who is open to good ideas, but still his own The worldview is shaped by men with conservative agendas like Dana White, Elon MuskAnd Jordan Peterson. Are interview with Trump was propaganda. Rogan was not prepared to ask enough good questions and leveraged his subject’s celebrity to tackle pet issues such as transgender students. He harped on extreme examples to make general assumptions about complicated matters. Not a fan either.

But people in my Facebook circle who chose to support Trump, which I have nothing but love for.

They are no better or more virtuous than Harris’ voters. They do their best and find identity and comfort in a story they told themselves. It makes them deeply human.

Better this time

Make no mistake, I believe that Trump’s tendency toward cronyism will lead to one a more corrupt and less efficient government. But I have Wednesday didn’t rage on my Facebook. I asked my friends why they thought Trump won. I have 25 different answers and learned from them all.

The best thing we can do as journalists and citizens during this tumultuous transition is: listen and learn.

I think it will be so harder to do my job under Trump. The first Trump term was extremely stressful. I reported live from a Trump rally in 2016 my skin crawled when he ordered his supporters to berate the media. He wants revoke CBS’s broadcasting license. You never know when a right-wing YouTuber will join in suspiciously deep pockets wants to litigate. Honest answers are harder to find. There is more noise on the internet.

We’ll have to be twice as carefully.

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