New Study on Trump Supporters ties to Racist Views

[K Graham]

Donald Trump’s presidency associated with significant changes in the topography of prejudice in the United States

A series of 13 studies with over 10,000 participants tested the change in Americans’ prejudice following the presidency of Donald Trump. The researchers found that explicit racial and religious prejudice increased amongst Trump’s supporters, while prejudice decreased among those who opposed him. This research was published in Nature Human Behavior.

In recent decades, there has been a downward trend in prejudice toward racial and religious minorities. However, some studies suggest that racial and religious prejudice had a critical role in Trump’s presidential victory. While some commentators have suggested that numerous trends following the 2016 elections (e.g., increases in reports of hate crimes, minorities reporting more discrimination) point toward a rise in racial and religious prejudice in America, others have argued that these increases may be a consequence of “increased national attention to issues of prejudice.” Other commentators from both sides of the political spectrum have suggested that even if there has been a rise in discrimination, it only reflects extremist fringe groups, rather than the broader American population.

In this work, Benjamin C. Ruisch and Melissa J. Ferguson examine “whether a single counter-normative public figure, and his widespread acceptance by a large portion of the American people, can lead to large-scale changes in social norms and societal prejudices.”

The authors tested two key predictions. First, that racial and religious prejudice significantly increased among Trump supporters but not other Americans. Second, that increase in prejudice reflected the increased acceptability of expressing prejudice (i.e., changes in social norms).

Studies 1-9 were multi-year longitudinal studies involving over 1000 participants, examining the “the breadth and depth of changes in prejudice across various target groups and measure types.” At Time 1, they included at least one measure of prejudice and various questions assessing views on social and political issues. Time 2 measures were nearly identical, and also included a question regarding support for Donald Trump.

The researchers included a wide range of measures on “political ideology, political party identification, perceptions of the US economy, perceived threat and political knowledge/sophistication, as well as demographic characteristics such as age, gender, race, education and income.” As well, they looked at environmental factors, including “income inequality, racial diversity and voter turnout in participants’ home counties” by extracting this information based on participants’ geographic location.

Study 9 included data from the VOTER survey conducted by the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group and YouGov. Responses on “voting history, political attitudes, daily lives, social group memberships, health history and demographics” from over 7500 participants who completed this survey in both 2016 and 2019 were included. These studies did not allow for the isolation of Trump support as a causal factor of changes in prejudice. However, they did allow the researchers to track changes before and after his political ascension, while statistically adjusting for over 80 possible predictors.

Using both correlational and experimental methodologies, Studies 10-13 included 1402 participants and were conducted for the purpose of providing support for a causal explanation.

Across Studies 1-9, Ruisch and Ferguson found that support for Donald Trump predicted “a significant increase in prejudice towards a range of social, racial and religious minoritized groups.” Those who generally opposed Trump, including liberals and conservatives, showed decreases in prejudice in the same time period. Studies 10-13 provided indirect support for the mechanism behind the shift in social norms.

Trump supporters perceived that expressing prejudice had become more acceptable since his election, and this perception predicted greater personal prejudice among them. As well, “experimentally leading participants to feel that Trump supporters approved of his controversial rhetoric significantly increased Trump supporters’ personal expressions of prejudice .”

The authors concluded, “Together, this research suggests that the presidency of Donald Trump may have substantially reshaped the topography of prejudice in the United States.”

The research, “Changes in Americans’ prejudices during the presidency of Donald Trump”, was authored by Benjamin C. Ruisch and Melissa J. Ferguson.

[ajax18]

In recent decades, there has been a downward trend in prejudice toward racial and religious minorities.

Do you really believe this?

[Gunnar]

This study definitely confirms my own impressions and observations from before and since Trump's nomination ans subsequent election to President. During my long life I perceived a slow but definite decline in racial, ethnic and racial bigotry. People seemed to be becoming more accepting of each other's racial and ethnic differences. I perceived an increase in mixed racial friendships and social interactions. Depicting mixed interracial kissing, romances and marriage were no longer taboo in mainstream TV programs and movies.

Since Trump became prominent on the scene, there seems to have been a reversal of those positive trends, especially among conservatives who identify as Trump supporters. It is glaringly obvious to me that Trump deliberately appealed to and successfully reawakened many people's latent prejudices that I thought and hoped were on the wane. That is one of the worst things Trump has done to us. I know that some Trump supporting politicians deny that Trump is really racist, but I have met conservatives who approve of Trump precisely because they perceive that he shares and approves of their racial and ethnic prejudices. Some seem to think that Trump's Presidency gave them license to ignore at will anti-discrimination regulations and laws in their business and hiring practices.

[Gunnar]

In recent decades, there has been a downward trend in prejudice toward racial and religious minorities.

Do you really believe this?

Would you approve of such a downward if there is one, or would you be happier if there were no such downward trend?

[ajax18]

Would you approve of such a downward if there is one, or would you be happier if there were no such downward trend?

Of course I would approve a downward trend in actual racism. I actually hold to Martin Luther King's ideal of judging people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.

I think the current supply of actual racism is insufficient to meet the demands of the politicians and social justice warriors. Hence the need for race hoaxes like Covington Catholic or Jussie Smollet. I think if people who actually lived as slaves who suffered from actual white supremacism and racism looked down from spirit world at what their descendants now decry as outrageous acts of white supremacist racism today, they'd be shaking their heads in disbelief, and acknowledge that the current generation has no idea what actual racism even is.

[K Graham]

Would you approve of such a downward if there is one, or would you be happier if there were no such downward trend?

Of course I would approve a downward trend in actual racism. I actually hold to Martin Luther King's ideal of judging people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.

I think the current supply of actual racism is insufficient to meet the demands of the politicians and social justice warriors. Hence the need for race hoaxes like Covington Catholic or Jussie Smollet. I think if people who actually lived as slaves who suffered from actual white supremacism and racism looked down from spirit world at what their descendants now decry as outrageous acts of white supremacist racism today, they'd be shaking their heads in disbelief, and acknowledge that the current generation has no idea what actual racism even is.

This message brought to you by Stormfront veteran.

[canpakes]

I think if people who actually lived as slaves who suffered from actual white supremacism and racism looked down from spirit world at what their descendants now decry as outrageous acts of white supremacist racism today, they'd be shaking their heads in disbelief, and acknowledge that the current generation has no idea what actual racism even is.

Not that it’s always legally safe to talk of such things as ‘actual white supremacism and racism’, when doing so is interpreted to upset some students.

[K Graham]

I think the current supply of actual racism is insufficient to meet the demands of the politicians and social justice warriors.

A standard talking point from White Supremacists.

Hence the need for race hoaxes like Covington Catholic or Jussie Smollet.

Just like a white supremacist, trying to make an outlier the rule instead of the exception. Following this logic murder doesn't really exist because someone, somewhere, is only pretending to murder someone. And the "Covington Catholic" wasn't a "race hoax."

I think if people who actually lived as slaves who suffered from actual white supremacism and racism looked down from spirit world at what their descendants now decry as outrageous acts of white supremacist racism today, they'd be shaking their heads in disbelief, and acknowledge that the current generation has no idea what actual racism even is.

Sure they would. And who better to understand what a 19th century slave would be thinking than a 21st century Nazi?

[Some Schmo]

One of the requirements for being a fan of Trump is a really low IQ.

One of the requirements for being a racist is a really low IQ.

Racism and Trump support go together like peas and carrots. If you're dumb enough to think Trump is a great man, you're likely the type of person who thinks everyone is getting their inner racist on.

[Moksha]

Would you approve of such a downward if there is one, or would you be happier if there were no such downward trend?

Of course I would approve a downward trend in actual racism.

Don't forget that warning about wooden noses growing longer.