Since Election Night 2016, scholars, pundits and pretty much anyone who is passionate about politics has been debating whether or not it was race or economic anxiety that drew white people in droves to vote for Donald Trump. There isn’t one simple answer to this question. It was likely both— and they aren’t neatly separated apart from each other. However, it cannot be denied that race played a huge role in not only how he appealed to white voters but also in how many white voters see themselves in an increasingly multiracial America. Trump effectively mastered the art of making whites feel like minorities—and because they don’t like it, it has worked out tremendously to his benefit.
White Trump voters overwhelming believe that they as white people are the most discriminated against group of people in the country. This attitude is reflected in the Trump’s administration’s attempt to reform affirmative action at colleges and universities so that they can no longer discriminate against white applicants. While this so-called discrimination against whites cannot be backed up by any credible data, it hardly matters since survey data indicates that many whites (the vast majority of whom make up Trump’s base) believe that there is a need to reform policies that work against them. This provides all the support he needs for pushing an agenda steeped in white nationalism.
In January 2016, the American National Election Study asked 875 white Americans this question: How likely is it that many whites are unable to find a job because employers are hiring minorities instead? On average, 28 percent of the white population thought it was extremely or very likely that white people could not find work because of minorities seeking those same jobs. Roughly half the white population thought it was at least moderately or slightly likely. Only 21 percent thought this was not at all likely. [...]
Among white Republicans and independents, an even greater divide becomes clear: White voters who preferred Mr. Trump to one of the other candidates in the Republican field were nearly twice as likely to anticipate white job loss to nonwhite workers (48 percent compared with 24 percent).
This actually defies logic. This is a country where nearly 76 percent of the population is white. White men make up 31 percent of the population but hold 65 percent of all elected office. White people still make up the vast majority of bachelor’s degree holders in the United States. When it comes to health, wealth, life expectancy, etc. white people are doing disproportionately better than people of color. So, it’s unclear what magical bubble these white people live in where they see so many nonwhites in positions of power that can take away their jobs and create unfair policies toward them.
The survey also asked white people how important it was for whites to work together to change laws that are unfair to whites. On average, 38 percent said it was extremely or very important. Only a quarter thought it was not important at all — a category that presumably also encompasses people who thought no such laws existed.
This magical thinking has led to a perspective that is divorced from reality. But what’s most fascinating is to see how white racial identity is developing in the era of Trump. For decades, white people used to tell people of color that there was no such thing as racism and that it wasn’t systemic but instead limited to individuals who were the exception and not the rule. Often, we were told that we made too big of a deal in talking about race and that we are race baiters. White people patted themselves on the back for not being openly racist (even though they certainly were complicit in it), for being colorblind and having black and brown friends. And now here we are and suddenly, not only is there racism—but the ones who are experiencing it are the white folk, who are the majority of the population, and they feel compelled to do something about it right away. It’s almost comical how that works.
The data show that race is less important to white Americans’ sense of self than to nonwhites — more white people say being white is not at all important to their identity relative to the numbers who say so in other groups. But Mr. Trump’s continued efforts to remind white Americans of their group status may increase the number of white people who think of themselves through a racial lens. It is one of the ways that his campaign and presidency may reshape public opinion and politics.
This really doesn’t have anything to do with unfairness toward whites based on race. That doesn’t exist. There are no policies out there that are unfair to or biased against whites. White people are still overwhelmingly in charge. Class, however, is a different story. But Donald Trump was able to tap into a special type of anxiety that many white people experience when they no longer see themselves represented everywhere. It is a peculiar comeuppance for people who have had skin privilege since the beginning of this country’s history—no one likes being treated like a minority. Unfortunately, this perceived sense of oppression is likely to result in policies that do hurt the real minorities in this country in the years ahead.