‘Exactly what I voted for,’ say Trump backers

I’ve noticed an emerging current of thought among friends on the political left, neatly summarized by the headline of a recent New Yorker interview with Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin: “Trump Voters Are in for a Rude Awakening.”

The idea is that people who voted for Donald Trump last November are now getting exactly what they wished for, or will soon. Or that they weren’t really paying attention when they voted and now they’re seeing the president’s true colors.

This flattening of perspective may amount to hopefulness or cynicism or both — but it’s not helpful. It suggests Trump supporters voted absent-mindedly and failed to anchor their selection in legitimate concerns about their own prospects or those of the nation. Not only does this view risk further polarizing our public discourse – it’s also largely wrong.