--- title: Donald Trump Is the Result of White Rage, Not Economics description: Barack Obama’s election — and its powerful symbolism of black advancement — was the major trigger for the backlash that led to Donald Trump canonical: https://time.com/4573307/donald-trump-white-rage/ author: Carol Anderson article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-16T17:22:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:22.474Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Donald Trump Is the Result of White Rage, Not Economic Anxiety og:description: Obama's election was a major trigger for the backlash that led to Donald Trump og:url: https://time.com/4573307/donald-trump-white-rage/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfe06c8e860fef0f3/6988aebc8e0601b29946848f/hat.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3648 og:image:height: 2052 og:image:alt: A "Make America Great Again" hat sits on a table ahead of an election night party for 2016 Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump at the Hilton Midtown hotel in New York on Nov. 8, 2016. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Is the Result of White Rage, Not Economic Anxiety twitter:description: Obama's election was a major trigger for the backlash that led to Donald Trump twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfe06c8e860fef0f3/6988aebc8e0601b29946848f/hat.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Is the Result of White Rage, Not Economic Anxiety > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Donald Trump Runs for President: A Look Back [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump Runs for President: A Look Back](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dgn8DCbB.m3u8) (7:19)  _Published 2016-10-31. In one of the most shocking U.S. elections in modern political history, Donald Trump has defeated Hillary Clinton._ by [Carol Anderson](https://time.com/author/4573310/) ## Carol Anderson Nov 16, 2016 5:22 PM UTC  A "Make America Great Again" hat sits on a table ahead of an election-night party for the 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Hilton Midtown hotel in New York City on Nov. 8, 2016 A "Make America Great Again" hat sits on a table ahead of an election-night party for the 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Hilton Midtown hotel in New York City on Nov. 8, 2016 Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Carol Anderson](https://time.com/author/4573310/) ## Carol Anderson Nov 16, 2016 5:22 PM UTC White rage got us here. While the [economic anxiety](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/16/how-donald-trump-appeals-to-the-white-working-class) of Trump supporters is often touted as the [driving force](http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/the-great-white-irony-of-clintons-stunning-loss) behind the mogul’s electoral college victory, that rationale is just a ruse, a clever red herring. The median income of a Trump supporter is more than [$70,000 per year](http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-mythology-of-trumps-working-class-support/), which is well above the national average, and a 2016 study noted that it would take African Americans [228 years](http://billmoyers.com/story/average-black-family-need-228-years-build-wealth-white-family-today/) to equal the wealth of whites in the U.S. Clearly, Trump’s pathway into the Oval Office is not really about white economic angst. Rather, Barack Obama’s election — and its powerful symbolism of black advancement — was the major trigger for the policy backlash that led to Donald Trump, and which has now put America’s national security at risk. Republicans carved out this trench shortly after Obama’s 2008 victory. The GOP pushed through a number of laws at the state level to block as many of his voters, primarily African Americans, from the polls as possible. North Carolina targeted black voters with nearly “[surgical precision](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/30/opinion/north-carolinas-voting-restrictions-struck-down-as-racist.html?%5Fr=0).” Wisconsin Republicans were “[giddy](https://www.thenation.com/article/wisconsin-republicans-were-giddy-about-making-it-harder-to-vote/)” about disfranchising African Americans, especially in Milwaukee. Florida’s GOP cut particular days of early voting to nullify the political participation of [black churchgoers](https://thinkprogress.org/florida-republicans-admit-voter-suppression-was-the-goal-of-new-election-laws-f2954f7635d0#.muourngr4). Texas [required](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/03/how-voter-id-laws-are-being-used-to-disenfranchise-minorities-and-the-poor/254572/) certain types of government-issued photo IDs to vote and then [ensured](http://www.naacpldf.org/publication/democracy-diminished-state-and-local-threats-voting-post-shelby-county-alabama-v-holder) that nearly 1.6 million black and Latino citizens would have [very limited access](http://billmoyers.com/2013/08/22/doj-to-texas-voter-suppression-will-not-stand/). Ohio [skewed](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-pepper/ohio-democrats-expose-new%5Fb%5F9643250.html.) its early [voting laws](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/us/ohios-limits-on-early-voting-are-discriminatory-judge-says.html) to [diminish](http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2016/06/federal%5Fjudge%5Ffinds%5Fohio%5Flaws.html) the [turnout](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/us/ohios-limits-on-early-voting-are-discriminatory-judge-says.html) in the cities while also implementing a literacy test that officials applied only to those in urban counties. The end result was that the Republicans had effectively [shattered](https://www.thenation.com/article/ohio-gop-admits-early-voting-cutbacks-are-racially-motivated/) the black and Latino demographic firewall that could have prevented a Trump presidency. A Trump presidency, to be clear, that many in the Republican establishment rightfully feared because of the mogul’s demonstrated unfitness for office. But they [didn’t fear it enough](http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-anderson-demographic-firewall-20160717-snap-story.html). Because even in the wake of federal court orders striking down many of the most odious, discriminatory features of voter suppression, the GOP [resisted](https://www.thenation.com/article/north-carolina-wont-stop-suppressing-the-vote/), [stalled](http://www.reuters.com/article/schwartz-voters-idUSL1N1D42AX) and [defied](http://www.npr.org/2016/04/11/473850580/despite-federal-court-rulings-texas-voter-id-laws-remain-in-place) the judiciary until [confusion](https://www.thenation.com/article/a-federal-court-orders-wisconsin-to-stop-suppressing-the-vote/) and [resignation](http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/08/12/conflicting-rulings-could-cause-confusion/88614524/) reigned at the [polls](http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-09-23/changes-in-voting-laws-could-lead-to-confusion-at-the-polls). It was [too late](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/battleground-states-still-fighting-over-voting-laws-potential-election-day-confusion/2016/10/25/32560c4e-979d-11e6-bb29-bf2701dbe0a3%5Fstory.html). In a horrific Faustian [calculation](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-voting-states-to-watch-20161107-story.html), these Republican patriots put the nation at risk so that Trump could fulfill his dominant campaign promise. And, to be clear, it was not to make America great again, but to make access to America’s resources “[whites only](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/clinton-wasnt-wrong-about-the-deplorables-among-trumps-supporters/2016/09/12/93720264-7932-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a%5Fstory.html)” again. The [Klan](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/01/the-kkks-official-newspaper-has-endorsed-donald-trump-for-president/) recognized it, as did the [white nationalists](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/305912-kkk-american-nazi-party-praise-trumps-hiring-of-bannon) who gave Trump their full-throttled support. But, this wasn’t just a fantasy of the far right. The [allure](http://www.salon.com/2016/07/06/the%5Fdisturbing%5Fdata%5Fon%5Frepublicans%5Fand%5Fracism%5Ftrump%5Fbackers%5Fare%5Fthe%5Fmost%5Fbigoted%5Fwithin%5Fthe%5Fgop/) of a revived [Jim Crow nation](http://time.com/4236640/donald-trump-racist-supporters/) that proudly, willfully [excludes](http://time.com/4569034/donald-trump-undocumented-immigrant-deportation/) and [debases](http://www.voanews.com/a/hate-crimes-surge-after-donald-trump-victory/3596298.html) millions of nonwhites was so reaffirming and reassuring that everything else became [secondary or tertiary](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-exit-polls.html). Everything else, including [national security](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/donald-trumps-war-with-the-us-military/2016/09/09/a6701dae-7678-11e6-8149-b8d05321db62%5Fstory.html). Despite his glaring lack of qualifications, patriots shoved Trump into the role of [Commander in Chief](http://time.com/4370608/donald-trump-military/) — a man who had already maligned the U.S. military as a “disaster,” denigrated the generals dismantling ISIS, and disparaged POWs for being stupid enough to get caught. Patriots [cheered](http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/07/27/fox-panel-defends-trump-s-call-russia-hack-clinton-s-emails-he-just-meant-please-return-them-us/211943) on as Trump [asked](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html) the Russian government to [hack](http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/trump-has-a-point-on-russia-hack/) an American citizen who had led a national-security agency. Patriots acquiesced to a foreign policy that encouraged [nuclear proliferation](http://time.com/4437089/donald-trump-nuclear-weapons-nukes/), oozed profound [ignorance](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/trumps-terrifying-nuke-answer-at-the-debate-should-end-his-campaign-but-it-wont-20151216) about the basic fundamentals of U.S. [nuclear capability](http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-04/john-mccain-hedges-on-donald-trump-having-nuclear-weapons), and kept in play use of the ultimate weapon by a man who has difficulty even maintaining control on Twitter. Patriots gleefully [ignored](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russian-intelligence-hacked-dnc-emails-says-top-u-s-official-n618936) warnings by the National Security Agency that the [hacked documents](http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/politics/democratic-convention-dnc-emails-russia/) released by [WikiLeaks](https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/dnc-hack-wikileaks-russia/492878/) were actually the result of and washed through [Russian intelligence](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-russia-hackers-republicans-229572). Patriots didn’t blink when Trump’s economic plan included the possibility of [defaulting](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/us/politics/donald-trumps-idea-to-cut-national-debt-get-creditors-to-accept-less.html) on the U.S. debt although that “could undermine the stability of global financial markets” on a scale not seen since the Great Recession and cost American taxpayers billions of dollars in higher interest rates. Patriots accepted Trump’s [admiration](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/us/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-putin.html?%5Fr=0) of Vladimir Putin, disdain for the President of the United States, and a foreign policy agenda that [matched](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/rnc-2016-donald-trump-foreign-policy-225991) up smoothly with the Russian — not American — government’s. In other words, in January 2017, a man will be at the helm of the U.S. military, intelligence and foreign policy bureaucracies, who actually encouraged foreign intervention in an American election and advocated for dismantling the alliances that will aid Russian expansionism and weaken U.S. influence and power. Yet, the [patriots](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3922030/Republicans-congratulate-President-elect-Donald-Trump.html#ixzz4Q7w6Ivuq) bet that the [trade-off](http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/9/after-decisive-victory-nevertrumpers-fall-line/) will be well [worth it](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/11/will-all-the-republicans-who-once-lambasted-trump-now-fall-into/). Clearly, [white rage](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/making-america-white-again-the-white-lash-that-carries-trump/article32836823/) has brought us [here](http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/make-america-white-again-billboard-sparks-outrage-in-us-2877395/). ## Transcript I am officially running Aah, yeah [ APPLAUSE ]. for President of the United States [ APPLAUSE ] and we are going to make our country great again. The American Dream is dead, but if I get elected President I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again. I was called by a major major reporter whose name I won't use. And he said to me what you've done has never been done Male 1: In the history of United States politics. And more and more people are resonating to what I'm saying. That's why I'm leading in every poll. We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning. I think I have to win. I'm about winning. Male 2: It's been amazing to follow and exciting because you say some shocking Things [ LAUGH ] You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slabs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account. Only Rosie O'Donnell Look at those hands, are they small hands? And he referred to my hands, if they're small something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem there, I guarantee it. I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters okay? You gotta see this guy, I don't know what I said. I don't remember. [ APPLAUSE ] Here's a guy throwing punches, nasty as hell, screaming and everything else when we're talking. I mean what can happen, and we're not allowed, you know the guards are very gently with him, he's walking out like big high fives. Smiling, laughing, like to punch him in the face. [ APPLAUSE ] USA! USA! USA! When Mexico sends their people, they're not bringing their best. They're sending drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapist. I will build a great great wall On our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. The former president of Mexico Vicente Fox, he said today, and I'm quoting him. He said, I'm not going to pay for that quote, F'ing wall. How are you going to make them pay for the wall? I will and the wall just got ten feet taller, believe me. Zero tolerance for criminal aliens, zero, zero. Now a different threat challenges the whole world. Radical Islamic Terrorism. Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shut down. Of Muslims entering the United States. Donald Trump, let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? You have sacrificed nothing, and no one [ APPLAUSE ] I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs. Built great structures. I've had tremendous success. Those are sacrifices? Sure I think they're sacrifices. [ MUSIC ] As the proud daughter of your nominee I am here to tell you this is the moment and Donald Trump is the person to make America great again. [ LAUGH ] I humbly and gratefully accept. Your nomination for the presidency of the United States. And we will make America great again. God Bless you and good night. I love you. [ Music ] Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican nominee for President, Donald J. Trump. And the Democratic nominee for President Hilary Clinton . >> You're telling the enemy everything you wanted to do . >> No we're not . >> See. you're telling the enemy everything you wanted to do . >> There are different . >> Secretary, is it President Obama's fault? Wrong >> That is absolutely Wrong . >> Prove over and over again. Wrong. I also have a much better temperament than she has, you know? If Hillary knew how she would have done it already, period, end of story. I won the debate, I stayed calm just like I promised, and it is over. Goodnight, [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ LAUGH ] I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. [ LAUGH ] Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Whatever you want. Grab them by the ****. I've said and done things I regret, and the words released today on this more than a decade old video Are one of them. This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we're facing today. You bragged that you have sexually assaulted women, do you understand that? No I didn't say that at all. I don't think you understood what was said. This was lock Locker room talk . >> Just breaking a damning report from the New York Times that claims Donald Trump inappropriately touched two women, the first nearly [ INAUDIBLE ] That more women now accuse Donald Trump of improper physical contact . >> The People Magazine writer who said that Donald Trump kissed her and groped her in 2005 while she was interviewing him and his then pregnant wife Melania . >> These vicious claims About me, of inappropriate conduct with women. Are totally, and absolutely false. I didn't know any of these women, I didn't see these women. And I didn't even apologize to my wife, who's sitting right here, cuz I didn't do anything. Thank you. Do you make the same commitment that you will absolutely, Sir, that you will absolutely accept the result of this election? I will look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now, I'll look at it at the time. And I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election. If I win. 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