No surprises following the election as Donald Trump doubles down on becoming a dictator by picking unvetted, unqualified cult loyalists Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr. and Pete Hegseth for key Cabinet posts. Trump told innumerable lies on the campaign trail but his insatiable need for power was never in doubt.
Do his voters really want to live under a dictatorship?
David Brooks of the New York Times argues persuasively that the working class justifiably feels forgotten so emotionally relates to Trump’s angry rhetoric. But neither Trump’s previous administration nor other Republicans have treated workers well. Vowing to make Barack Obama a one-term president, longtime Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell opposed everything Obama proposed to help the working class.
And don’t expect the present Trump administration to help workers. He’s already appointed mega-billionaire Elon Musk, who contributed $118 million to Trump’s campaign, to lead the “government efficiency drive,” likely cutting millions from programs helping the working class. Trump praised Musk for saying he would fire any striking workers in his Tesla company, the only nonunionized major U.S. automaker, and just hire new workers.
Many people vote their emotions. Working-class voters, in particular, hurt themselves doing so; they win when Democrats win.
