Almost from the moment he descended the golden escalator nearly a decade ago, we have heard tell about the infamous ‘shy Donald Trump voter’ lurking below the surface of public opinion. But today, under Joe Biden’s disastrous leadership, these people are coming out of their shells.
The shy Trump voter could have been a co-worker, a sister-in-law, anyone really, softly staring into the distance as those around them talked about the evil horrors of Trump.
In liberal cities, Trump voters would quietly size each other up, with code phrases about the border or wokeness before quietly whispering, ‘Wait, are you a Trump guy?’
From the beginning, part of the magic of Trump’s raucous rallies was that so many of his supporters who couldn’t tell their friends and family were suddenly surrounded by a sea of like-minded Americans ready not just to vote but to party.
But something has changed, from individuals to institutions, the stain of publicly standing up for Trump is all but gone, and in its place stands, not so much defiance, as the simple realization that Donald Trump was a competent president, not a cartoon super villain.
Much of the reason for this shift is a shambolic three and half years of the Biden administration which has left many longing wistfully for the days of the Donald in the Oval Office.
Every day voters face harsh reminders of Biden’s failed policies, at the gas pump and the grocery store, where prices have soared, in stories of murder and mayhem committed by illegal immigrants, all underscored by the war drums of global conflict.
Even the darling of progressives, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, warned his lefty buddies at Davos earlier this year not to underestimate the current appeal of Trump.
‘Just take a step back and be honest,’ Dimon opined. ‘He was kind of right about NATO. He was kind of right about immigration. He grew the economy quite well. Tax reform worked.’
Trump has recently enjoyed high-profile fundraisers from high rollers in big oil and big tech who even four years ago might have shied away from such a MAGA spotlight. But no more.
And who can blame them? Biden essentially wants to gut the energy industry in places like Texas and Democrats’ policies are destroying states like California, where the tech industry thrives.
And the same thing is happening with average Americans in their daily lives.
Saying one plans to vote for Trump is no longer associated with being part of an angry fringe movement, but just the simple recognition that things were better when he was in office.
This also explains why we see so many Black and Hispanic voters not just supporting Trump in the polls, but also publicly, as highlighted by his recent rally in the Bronx and his event in North Philadelphia set for this weekend.
For Biden’s campaign, this overcoming of shyness by those inclined toward Trump is a double disaster. Not only does it invite new Trump supporters, but it also undermines the most central message of the campaign, that Trump is uniquely dangerous.
The more normal, everyday people who say, ‘I don’t love the mean tweets, but I have to admit things were better when he was president,’ the less effective Biden’s rants about MAGA extremism and threats to democracy appear.
The era of the shy Trump voter is over. He really is just a normal politician now, and more importantly, this time around voters aren’t choosing between two candidates, but between two presidencies.
Joe Biden can’t scare the country into voting for him with threats of fascism anymore. He has to earn it on the merits of the job he has done, and if the polls today are any indication, that is going to be a heavy lift indeed.