Was Trump’s Victory A Protest Vote?

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory for Osama bin Laden, whose announced goal was to bankrupt America by drawing it into a trap. The 2011 military budget - almost matching that of the rest of the world combined - is higher in real terms than at any time since World War II and is slated to go even higher ." ~ Noam Chomsky

Trump's recent election win is caused by several key factors that drove a protest vote against the status quo, with voters rejecting the Democratic Party over economy, perceived foreign policy priorities, and cultural forces.

Many voters were frustrated with a significantly unequal economy, where the cost of living has skyrocketed and grocery bills have surged by 30%. Inflation seems out of control for the working and middle-class Americans, causing a strong demand for change, leading them to vote for Trump as a reaction against what they saw as failed Democratic economic policies.

Many Americans' perceive their freedom of personal choices are crumbling, at a time when the Democratic-led government has struggled to address concerns over migrant safety—over 1.2 million documented cases of illegal immigrants having a criminal record and reproductive rights. The American desire to preserve what is seen as “American freedoms and security” resonated with voters looking for a candidate.

Voters were also expressing backlash against identity-based expectations, where they were pressured to vote based on a candidate's race or gender rather than policy. In particular, former President Obama at a Harris presidential rally, he told black voters, if they don't vote for Harris, they are not black! Trump on the other hand positioned himself as a candidate who spoke to people as individuals, countering divisive identity politics.

Trump's promise to avoid entangling the U.S. in foreign conflicts held strong appeal, especially due to American tax dollars heavily supporting international conflicts. This includes the $75 billion backing Ukraine in a proxy war against Russia with an estimation of over 500,000 casualties and no victory in sight. Plus, Americans are also footing the bill for another multiple proxy war against Hamas—at one point supported by Israel, and Hezbollah—supported by multiple countries in the Middle East, with over $70 billion in military aid to Israel, a highly controversial situation in Gaza and Lebanon, again with an estimated 200,000 casualties due to the obliteration of 100% of Gaza and soon Lebanon, which has led to a humanitarian crisis.

Many Trump supporters saw these foreign policies as wasteful and harmful to American interests, making Trump's anti-war message compelling.

As Americans pay through their tax dollars, a trillion dollar military budget, at the same time more tax dollars, $200 billion needed to fund two proxy wars, one in the Ukraine and one in the Middle East, it is not surprising that the American governments at the local, state, and federal levels do not have tax dollar funds to upgrade the physical infrastructure throughout the United States of America. Well over two decades now, there have been a massive noticeable decay of American infrastructure due to the diversion of tax dollars to pay for the military and funding of proxy wars.

By emphasizing his previous term was proof by ending, not starting, wars, Trump tapped into the psyche of the American voters, to prioritize domestic concerns over international commitments.

Hundreds of thousands of voters chanting, "no more foreign wars" at both Democratic and Republican political rallies, should have been viewed as a rally cry for the Democrats to understand the sentiment, that U.S. resources and policies should focus more on issues at home, but they did not listen.

At one point during the campaign, in a national poll, 28% of the American people viewed the Democratic government under Biden as favourable on domestic and international issues! The Harris campaign could not distance itself from the Democratic Biden-Harris ruling government.

Furthermore, Democratic Harris campaign were too focused on receiving campaign funds from the Israeli lobby, hoping to win the election.

Trump’s victory may have been a protest vote—a reaction to economic hardship, perceived limitations on personal freedoms, identity politics, and a desire for non-interventionist foreign policy.