The Anti-Trumps: In Their Own Words

Abstract

On “Super Tuesday” March 1, 2016, Donald Trump solidified his lead as the GOP frontrunner by seizing 8 of the 12 States that were up for grabs that day. He did so even though he had insulted every fellow Republican who has criticized him, the nation of Mexico, the entirety of the Muslim world and even Pope Francis: the undisputed sovereign of Christianity (albeit very carefully). Trump’s comments were consistently tinged with racism and intolerance; and these veiled epithets garnered the support of such disparate figures as Vladimir Putin and David Duke. Conventional wisdom would dictate that his political aspirations should have been derailed long ago. But his constant vitriol only served to increase his support among a large plurality of the electorate who felt increasingly disenfranchised by the policies of their government both domestically and abroad.

Beginning with Trump’s announcement that he would run for the presidency in June, 2015, the mainstream media became fascinated by the collective psyche and enthusiasm of Trump supporters. There were Anti-Trumps all the while but they did not demonstrate nearly as much overt enthusiasm in their efforts to derail his candidacy. They just figured that Trump’s ideas were so outrageous that he would derail himself. But with Trump’s decisive victories on March 1, which now looks like a significant turning point, the entire dynamic of the presidential race phased into an entirely new dynamic. The media spotlight, which had previously shone mainly on Trump and his supporters, was about to be shared with a widely disparate group of oppositionists who shared one common goal: Stop Trump! And strange bedfellows they became.

Keywords: Trump protesters, anti-Trump