A Look at the Voter Demographics of the Trump/Republican Party

People join, or in most cases, identify with one of the two major political parties in the United States. It used to be Democrat/Republican. But since 2016, it’s become a Democrat/Trump dichotomy.

Donald Trump did a hostile takeover of the Republican Party and now leads it like the former Soviet Union leaders did with an ironclad rule of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union from the Kremlin. With 85 to 95 per cent partisan support, he has free reign to say and do whatever he wants regarding policy or his behavior.

What types of people make up the Trump Party that he controls? Well, it’s not your father’s Republican Party for sure. Trump has attracted more followers who do not have a college degree, that are more middle and lower income wage earners, that believe that foreign trade is not good for America and particularly oppose immigration.

The Trump party is about the same size as the former Republican Party was. About 36% of voters call themselves “Republicans” in the Trump Party. But the composition of the party has vastly changed. Many college educated have left along with wealthy voters switching to the Democratic Party or considering themselves independent voters.

According to the respected NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll, working class, white voters make up 59% of the party up from 50% in 2010, while working-class voters of all races account for more than two-thirds of all Trump/GOP voters.

These percentages also play out in congressional districts.

When all the House districts are ranked by median income, the GOP now represents 58% of the lower-income half of that group, up from 39% of lower-income districts a decade ago. Conversely, the GOP/Trump Party represents 34% of the higher-income half, down from 43% ten years ago.

One Republican/Trump Party strategist says the challenge for Republicans is that the groups among whom the party has grown stronger are declining as a proportion of the electorate and the groups among which the party has grown weaker are growing as a proportion of the electorate.

This is why I believe the Trump/GOP will no longer be considered much of a force in American politics in 20 years unless the party cheats voters by accepting illegal foreign assistance in our elections or by corruptly changing the outcome of the elections.