Would you forgo purchasing your dream home if you saw a Trump 2020 sign in the yard next door? A surprising number of Americans would.
Sadly, in our ever polarized society, supporters of President Trump are viewed as more harmful than some in the criminal justice system. This is the product of divisive rhetoric from many on the left including Hillary Clinton calling half of Trump supporters a “basket of deplorables.”
Area Vibes, a real estate data website that claims to help Americans find the best places to live, asked 1,000 Americans questions about the kinds of communities they seek in a survey called “Do You Care Who Lives Next Door?
Their premise was that intolerance is on the rise in America and that is reflected in people’s choices about where to live and who they want to live beside.
In a stunning ranking of neighbors people deem unsafe, “avid Trump supporters” ranked seventh above those arrested on nonviolent charges, polyamorous people, and Middle Easterners.
Sex offenders, people arrested on violent charges and drug charges ranked at the top three. That’s not surprising and quite understandable. What parent would ever have peace of mind with a sex offender living next door? Other homeowners might worry–justifiably or not–that those who engaged in criminal behavior in the past might continue in the future bringing illegal activity and crime to the neighborhood.
However, what makes “avid Trump supporters” so unsafe? They may be perceived as less dangerous than those who fly Confederate flags in this survey, but more people view them worse than those breaking the law to be in a relationship with multiple people at the same time.
The survey doesn’t explain why this is.
However, Pew polling gives us a hint. According to March 2018 polling, among Americans who disapprove of the job President Trump was doing–which was a larger share of the overall public– over half (56 percent) said that those who approve of President Trump do not share their other values and goals compared with 39 percent who said they probably do.
Leaders, activists, and the media have successfully turned Americans into stark and warring political tribes. If you’re with him, you cannot be with us. To channel Twilight, you’re either Team Edward or Team Jacob.
Sadly, most people are more nuanced in their views of life and issues than Democrat or Republican or pro-Trump and anti-Trump.
Americans can lean left on social issues but desire less government control over their children, families, and businesses. Other Americans can lean right on economic issues, but embrace opposing views on social issues.
During the 2016 election, millions of regular Americans — like our neighbors and family members– were labeled as some of the worst people in society for choosing to support candidate Trump.
Hillary Clinton wrapped them up into a “basket of deplorables” and wrote them off. Saying:
“You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic—you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”
As a prominent woman — former first lady, secretary of state, and U.S. senator — Clinton’s bashing of over 31 million people who voted for Donald Trump had a lasting impact on the populace. She drew a metaphoric line that still remains today. Other political leaders and the media continue to peddle this narrative and look for any episode of bad behavior among Trump supporters to perpetuate this narrative, no matter how false the story. Just look at Nick Sandman and the Covington High School kids.
So when we see that a quarter of Americans view Trump supporters as unsafe, it’s because the left has done a great job of smearing them and adding to the polarization of America.