As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take back the Oval Office, his gains among men are a key focus. These increases suggest dissatisfaction with the way the Democratic Party is handling economic and social changes affecting men, especially among young people and Latino men.
The 2024 presidential election focused a lot of attention on the women’s vote, as Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned to become the first female president, and many prominent women supported her campaign.
However, it turns out that many men were actually highly motivated to vote.
“A lot of men were tired of being told that they were terrible and that they couldn’t do anything, and I think that’s the big mistake that Democrats made,” Kat Timpf said on Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” said.
How the Trump campaign addressed issues facing men
Richard Reeves, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of Of Boys and Men, sees this frustration as part of a larger trend among men.
“They came to think that for progressive policies that represented women, they had to somehow exclude or even denigrate men. And they stopped doing that. ” Reeves said. He also cited research that found two-thirds felt no one knew them well and 15% had no close friends, raising concerns among young people. He pointed out the trends that should be observed.
Reeves also discussed deeper issues facing men, including stagnant wages and disproportionate death rates from suicide and overdose.
“The unwillingness of anyone on the center left to openly discuss men’s mental health, men’s employment, men’s pay creates a huge void in our culture and politics,” Reeves said. added.
Reeves said Republicans filled the void. Conservative figures have been successful in appealing to men through male-dominated social media platforms, also known as the “manosphere,” such as the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” especially through sports and popular culture.
“We’ve been dealing with a complete dismantling of what it means to be a man, especially in the last three and a half years,” conservative commentator Tyrus said in an interview with President Trump. . Trump agreed.
Trump’s appeal to men stands in sharp contrast to the left’s more progressive stance on gender. “Trump appealed to men because he appealed to men. In fact, Trump campaigned to win the male vote,” said conservative commentator Michael Knowles.
Knowles feels the left’s approach ignores men’s issues too much.
Faiz Shakir, chief political adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders, said the Biden administration’s focus on factory jobs and infrastructure is good for men, but Republicans are less likely to connect with men. He acknowledged that he was doing a good job. He doubts President Trump will ultimately take credit for these accomplishments.
The widening gulf between left and right over how men are viewed in society remains a key issue heading into the next election.
Reeves cautions against relying on conventional wisdom, saying, “If there’s a problem, there’s got to be a villain.” He says neither feminism nor the women’s movement can be blamed for the challenges men face.
“This is definitely not women’s fault… But what the other side, the progressive left, sometimes takes issue with is that the problem is men, so by definition men should have the problem.” That means no.”
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