President Trump is uninformed, gullible, mentally faltering and dangerous, if you believe the scandalous new expose by journalist Michael Wolff. More than that, virtually all of Trump’s senior aides supposedly consider him incompetent and view it as their mission to save America from him.
What’s new about Wolff’s account isn’t the discord or strife evident in Trump’s White House, but the disdain Trump’s senior-most attendees apparently feel toward their boss. As the politico-media establishment piles on, however, it’s worth keeping in mind that Trump has a political superpower none of his minions or competitors possesses: A mind-meld with The Alienated American.
As everybody knows, Trump didn’t win the presidency in 2016 because of his policy ideas. And he didn’t win because of James Comey or Russian interference or fake news on Facebook. Trump won because he connected with voters who are fed up with political elites who mostly serve their own interests. Many candidates promise change, but Trump’s blunt style and disregard for norms made him seem like he meant it. Judging by his performance in office so far, he did.
If Trump is as obtuse as his many critics and even some supporters seem to think, then how did he outsmart a huge field of experienced and well-funded candidates, including the inheritors of the Bush and Clinton political dynasties? As a reminder, Trump’s opponent Hillary Clinton won the lower- and upper-income vote—but Trump won the middle, including voters with household income between $50,000 and $200,000. Clinton won voters who are satisfied with government; Trump won those who are dissatisfied, a group that has swollen in recent years. And voters said they trusted Trump slightly more than Clinton on the economy.
Trump appeals to people who are tawdry and crass, as he is. But his appeal goes well beyond that stereotype. Clinton won the college-educated vote in 2016, but Trump still snagged 44% of the vote among college grads and 37% of the vote among those with advanced degrees. That’s hardly nothing.
Business owners also support Trump. Important lobbying groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses—which represent big and small companies alike—broadly back Trump’s agenda, especially his push for tax cuts and deregulation. Here at Yahoo Finance, we hear routinely from business owners who feel we’re too harsh on Trump. Many are grateful that a U.S. president, for the first time in decades, is trying to plow aside a never-ending avalanche of government rules that bury many businesses.