These MAGA voters adore Trump not despite his authoritarian views — but because of them

11 November 2024

During her 2024 presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly attacked Donald Trump as an authoritarian who openly praised far-right Hungarian President Viktor Orbán and promised retaliation against his political foes if he returned to the White House.

Despite Harris' warnings, President-elect Trump enjoyed a decisive victory on Election Night and will return to the White House on January 20, 2025.

In an article published by the conservative website The Bulwark on November 11, journalist Will Saletan warns that some Trump voters adore him not despite his authoritarian views, but because of them.

Saletan makes his case by drawing on exit polls as well as surveys from the Associated Press (AP) and others.

"How many Americans condone or outright prefer an autocratic style of leadership?" Saletan writes. "And how much of Trump's majority coalition will support him as he expands and abuses his power? To answer these questions, I've looked at the exit polls and the VoteCast survey conducted by the Associated Press, as well as surveys conducted in the months after Harris replaced Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket."

Saletan continues, "In some polls, respondents were asked about democracy vs. autocracy in general terms. In others, they were asked about specific scenarios. The numbers paint a sobering portrait of the world's oldest democracy. Most Americans don't want explicit autocracy. But many Trump supporters are open to it, and most of his voters will support or tolerate authoritarian policies and acts."

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy, in September, conducted a poll of likely voters and found that 64 percent of Harris voters "strongly" agreed that "Democracy may have problems, but it is the best system of government. However, McCourtney found that only 48 percent of GOP voters "strongly" agreed.

"Trump will be our president again because the voters of this country failed to draw a firm line in defense of republican government and the rule of law," Saletan warns. "And as he consolidates power, backed by a servile party and a docile Supreme Court, there's little sign that the public will stand in his way."

Will Saletan's full article for The Bulwark is available at this link.

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