Democrats Struggle with Workers, Trump Gains Advantage

AFP/APP

Washington: The Democratic Party’s longstanding support among working-class voters appears to be waning, as recent election data underscores a shift that experts say is becoming increasingly troubling for Democrats.

Left-leaning Senator Bernie Sanders was blunt in his post-election analysis: “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”

Sanders noted that the shift, first observed in Trump’s 2016 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, has now extended beyond the white working class to Latino and Black American workers as well.

Exit poll data from the Edison Research Center showed that the president-elect received support from 56% of voters without college degrees, a six-point increase from 2020, while Kamala Harris secured only 42% among this group.

‘Condescension’ and Disconnect

Trump, a New York billionaire businessman, managed to convince many working-class voters — including growing segments of Hispanic, Black, and Arab Americans — that he understands their struggles, experts say.

Amid high inflation stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and global events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many voters perceived Harris as accountable for rising costs impacting daily life.

Sylvie Laurent, a professor at Sciences Po in Paris, argued that Harris struggled to connect with white and Hispanic women grappling with rising costs.

 “They manage the family budget, shop, and prepare meals. Food prices have surged by over 30% since 2020,” Laurent observed. “In a country with low wages and increasingly unaffordable health care and housing, this is unbearable.”

Democratic congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez echoed these concerns, criticizing her party for perceived “condescension” toward working-class voters.

After her narrow re-election in a conservative county in Washington State, Perez suggested the Democrats lacked empathy and should adopt a firmer stance on border security, particularly to address drug-related issues affecting families. “What is empathetic  to tell them that’s their problem, or to take border security seriously?” she questioned.

Labor Divides and Shifting Priorities

In Michigan, a key swing state with a strong industrial base, labor union leaders endorsed Harris, but union influence over younger blue-collar workers seemed limited.

Many younger workers found Trump’s messages on tariffs and tax cuts appealing. Isaiah Goddard, a Ford employee, said he planned to vote for Trump despite the United Auto Workers union’s endorsement of Harris.

David McCall from the United Steelworkers union expressed concern that “one of the great tragedies of this grueling election season has been the way in which key figures sought to divide working Americans against each other.”

While Trump focused on immigration, inflation, and security, many working-class voters felt that Harris prioritized other issues.

A study by the pro-Democratic public opinion center Blueprint highlighted that one of the primary reasons swing-state voters turned away from Harris was her perceived focus on cultural and social issues, like transgender rights, rather than economic issues affecting the working class.

This shift among working-class voters signals challenges ahead for the Democratic Party as it seeks to bridge growing gaps within its traditional base.