The choice between a former prosecutor turned politician and a convicted felon who somehow made it to the white house eight years ago seems like a simple one. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Republicans in this election.
Many Republicans disagree with at least one or some of Trump’s plans for the nation, but ultimately believe his general approach supports a more prosperous future for America. However, I would argue that the people who possess the ability to discern and disagree with some parts of his platform but choose to sacrifice fundamental values for tax reform, women’s bodily rights, or immigration reform are far more dangerous than those who support him in every aspect.
For whatever reason Republicans chose to vote for Trump, the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits. Here are some of the top reasons voters voted for Trump.
Tax Reform: Does Trump Tax Law Benefit You?
We are still under Trump's Tax Law until 2025. The Donald Trump Tax Law was signed on December 22, 2017, and was the biggest tax overhaul since the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The law most prominently cuts the maximum corporate income tax rate up to 21%. However, these Tax Cuts and Job Acts with a trickle-down philosophy failed to deliver their promised benefits.
The tax cuts only apply to the rich. Households with an income in the top 1% (at least $788,000) will receive an average tax cut of more than $60,000 in 2025, while households in the bottom 60% (over half the nation) will only receive a tax cut of less than $500.
Therefore, anyone dissatisfied with taxes under the Biden administration was in fact dissatisfied with Trump’s Tax Law.
Immigration Reform: Bad Economics & Xenophobia
At the Republican National Convention in July, Donald Trump pledged to end what he called the “greatest invasion in history” at the US southern border. Trump’s plan is to deport a majority of the +10 million immigrants lacking proper legal documentation, an initiative that he says will benefit the economy and American workers.
Mass deportation is actually projected to have the opposite effect. Associate Professor Natasha Sarin at Yale’s School of Law and Management shared with U.S. News, “The vast economic research on this question suggests exactly the opposite. Indeed, the recent work by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (a nonpartisan Washington think tank) suggests that GDP would fall and inflation would rise under Trump's plan."
Often equating immigration with crime, Trump fails to acknowledge that undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. A very ‘bigly’ number indeed.
Abortion Ban: What’s more un-American than a lack of freedom?
The philosophy of life upon conception is a personal one; however, a woman’s right to make decisions for her own body is not. The Political Right often justifies abortion bans by preventing third-trimester abortions. However, only 1% of abortions were reportedly performed during the third trimester across 40 states and are an exceptionally rare occurrence that’s typically reserved for fatal fetal or maternal diagnoses.
In addition to the undeniable right for women and minors to take ownership of their bodies in the case of rape or incest, an abortion ban will result in more women dying.
Researchers project that if abortion is banned throughout the US, the overall number of maternal deaths would rise by 24% and 39% for Black women.
Stories continue to sweep the nation of women experiencing miscarriages only to be turned away from hospitals, like a woman in Wisconsin who experienced a miscarriage only to be sent home to bleed without medical supervision.
Medical attention during a miscarriage is also considered an “abortion”, including the vacuuming of fetal tissue from the uterus, a procedure that can prevent life-threatening infections.
Whichever reason someone uses to justify the outcome of their ballot, the reasoning often comes down to “values”, but what “values” could a convicted felon and accused sex offender truly bring to our country?
To equate any reasoning at all with voting for Trump, at times, can be a stretch. Comments online display a disturbing obsession for this candidate that goes against anything rational and instead borders on fan-like obsession.
Here are some of the reactions to his appearances on TikTok:
This approach is fine for those who enjoy idolizing celebrities, but a starstruck mindset has no place in politics. In fact, this is often the kind of support that is echoed in countries like Russia or North Korea for a “fearless leader”.
The dictator-like comparisons don’t stop there. Trump told voters in July that if they voted for him, they would never have to vote again “in four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote.” Does that sound like the ramblings of a balanced leader?
Perpetuating a dictator-like philosophy is intertwined with the plans outlined for Project 2025. Here are just a few:
Eroding the Justice Department’s Independence
The attorney general is appointed by the president, but their staff is given leeway to follow the law rather than the president’s opinions. Political personnel are prohibited from interfering with specific investigations and cases. Trump and top deputies have declared their intent to change this.
Censorship in Classrooms
Project 2025 proposes dismantling the Department of Education entirely, banning “Critical Race Theory”, as well as books with LGBTQ+ characters.
Gutting Agencies protecting Americans against foreign threats
This includes the elimination of Homeland Security and many of its component offices, instead replacing national security officials with partisan operatives, allowing the future president and his appointed officials to respond to world events, potentially leaving the US more vulnerable to attacks from foreign adversaries.
Weakening Climate Change Policies
Project 2025 aims to gut the Endangered Species Act that protects wildlife, resulting in further imperiled species. It also outlines scrapping part of the Clean Air Act, eliminating the EPA’s health-based air quality standards.
By voting Trump the message is clear: capital greed, xenophobia, and misogyny far outweigh life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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