Trump's enduring appeal – an anthropologist explains

+ Lebanon on the brink; presidents who ran for nonconsecutive terms US Edition - Today's top story: Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters' thinking [View in browser]( US Edition | 26 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( One of the most rewarding parts of covering politics at The Conversation is that we can cover stories in unusual ways. We’ve had poets write about politics, historians write about politics, psychologists write about politics, and this week an anthropologist wrote about politics. Editor Amy Lieberman, who commissioned the anthropologist’s story, [“Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking](,” describes how it came about. “The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is extremely close, just five or so weeks out from the election. I live in a liberal area of New York City, and it can sometimes feel like an echo chamber. I wanted to try to better understand Trump voters’ perspective and why he has so much support, after all of his legal cases and other controversies,” Lieberman explained. “Alex Hinton, an anthropologist who studies conservative politics and often immerses himself in far-right gatherings, was the person I thought of first for this assignment.” Hinton has distinguished himself on our pages as a profound observer of Trump’s followers. In both [2023]( and [2024](, he attended the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, observing and listening to the MAGA faithful. As a scholar of toxic political polarization, his two stories on those events are, along with this week’s piece, models of the approach he values: “Many efforts to reduce people’s polarized views begin with an injunction: Listen and understand.” To listen and understand – is there any better advice to a journalist who wants to report on politics? That’s why we work with scholars to cover the important issues of the day. First, they listen and understand, and then you can do the same. Also in this week’s politics news: - [Harris and Trump on immigration]( - [The power of presidents explained]( - [Violence of January 6 could have been just a prelude]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Supporters watch Donald Trump speak at a rally in Uniondale, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 2024. Spencer Platt/Getty Images [Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking]( Alex Hinton, Rutgers University - Newark Despite Trump’s criminal record and other controversies, his supporters still see him as someone who is tough on immigration and good for the economy, an anthropologist who studies polarization finds. Israeli soldiers in armored vehicles drive through a Lebanese village in 1982. Bryn Colton/Getty Images [Lebanese civilians are fleeing the south, fearing an Israeli invasion − a look back at 1982 suggests they have every reason to worry]( Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College Israel’s attempt to eliminate militant Palestinians in Lebanon led to slaughter of civilians, economic and political chaos and the creation of Hezbollah. Theodore Roosevelt speaks during the Progressive campaign of 1912. AP Photo [A brief history of former presidents running for reelection: 3 losses, 1 win and 1 still TBD]( Graeme Mack, University of Richmond History illustrates that voters become galvanized and change their party allegiance when former US presidents run for a nonconsecutive term. [A weakened Hezbollah is being goaded into all-out conflict with Israel – the consequences would be devastating for all]( Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame Israelis and Lebanese face similar predicaments: Their well-being is being sacrificed for military priorities. [Nepal’s revamped truth commissions will need to go beyond ‘ritualism’ to deliver justice to civil war victims]( Tracy Fehr, University of Colorado Boulder A newly amended law may push the country beyond what has been a drawn-out and sluggish process to account for the country’s civil war. [Sri Lankans throw out old guard in election upset: What nation’s new Marxist-leaning leader means for economy, IMF loans]( Vidhura S. Tennekoon, Indiana University Anura Kumara Dissanayake touted his victory as a ‘fresh start’ for the South Asian nation, two years after it came to the brink of economic collapse. [Trump and Harris vocabularies signal their different frames of mind]( Patricia Friedrich, Arizona State University People can have their own personal dialect based on their own linguistic and social experiences. [What is ‘dark money’ political spending, and how does it affect US politics?]( Emily Lau, University of Wisconsin-Madison Donors often try to conceal their involvement in politics, and campaigns try to hide what they spend their money on. [View politics critically but charitably and with good old common sense: cowboy commentator Will Rogers’ wisdom for 2024]( Steven Watts, University of Missouri-Columbia Humorist Will Rogers spent decades gleefully skewering what he called the ‘bunk’ of American politics − hypocrisy, inflated egos, shady deal-making. Both parties stood guilty of peddling bunk. - [No, immigrants aren’t eating dogs and cats – but Trump’s claim is part of an ugly history of myths about immigrant foodways]( Adrienne Bitar, Cornell University Trump’s allegation about immigrants eating pets is part of a long history of slurs demonizing people for what they do and don’t eat. - [Who is Tim Walz? Understanding the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party can help make sense of the VP candidate]( Gabriel Paxton, Boston University Walz, who is set to debate JD Vance on Oct. 1, comes from a particular kind of progressive politics in the Midwest, united under the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. - [The audacity of Kamala Harris’ laughter – and the racist roots of Trump’s derision]( Betsy Huang, Clark University American writer Ralph Ellison provided a sharp analysis of the subversive power of Black laughter in 1930s America. - [On the US-Mexico border, the records of Trump and Harris reflect the national mood of less immigration, not more]( William McCorkle, College of Charleston Allowing immigrants to settle in the US isn’t just an act of compassion. It’s also been a significant factor in the country’s economic growth, a point both candidates seem hesitant to make. - [Local government controls your roads, schools and utilities − but that doesn’t mean the US president doesn’t touch your life in important ways]( - [Post-election violence is possible in US, political scientist says − and it could be worse than Jan. 6]( - [How sheriffs define law and order for their counties depends a lot on their views − and most are white Republican men]( - [How the US government can stop ‘churches’ from getting treated like real churches by the IRS]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get one daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you [facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away all our articles without any ads or paywalls thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](