Since Election Day, political pundits on CNN and MSNBC have been recycling the familiar explanation that racist, xenophobic, and sexist voters put Donald Trump back in the White House. But when you consider Trump’s gains across nearly every demographic—including traditionally Democratic-leaning groups such as Latino, black, and young voters—that story doesn’t add up.
As the chronically online social media editor at The Free Press, I’ve had a front-row seat to the MAGA “vibe shift” unfolding in real time. In July, after Trump was nearly assassinated and Joe Biden dropped out of the race, I began to see dozens and dozens of videos of “unlikely” first-time Trump voters. Some said they appreciated Trump’s “Avengers Team”—including independent presidential candidate RFK Jr., former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and billionaire Elon Musk—because they share a disdain for the status quo. Many called Trump’s campaign a “unity ticket”—which had created a big enough tent for them to get inside.
The new MAGA coalition includes people like Kaizen Asiedu, a 34-year-old black Los Angeleno who said he started supporting Trump this summer. “I myself voted against Trump twice,” he posted in a September TikTok to his more than 19,000 followers. “Now I’m voting for him. It comes down to tangible results, dysfunctional Democratic Party leadership, and seeing through media misinformation.”
