What the elites don’t understand about the Trump vote 

John Cleese, the famous British comedian, is confounded. Why can’t Trump voters see how awful the former president is?

This sentiment is everywhere. People are confounded that Donald Trump might win back the White House.

By “everywhere,” of course, I mean a certain establishment media bubble, and by “people” I mean the various media elites, celebrities and New York-Washington smart-set. Ironically, their confusion says more about their own ignorance and narrow-mindedness than it does about Trump voters.

The fact is, Trump should be far, far ahead in the polls, romping to a massive victory. Cleese and the smart-set should be thrilled that Trump is such an unhinged, non-strategic rage-a-holic; just a slightly more disciplined, strategic campaign would make this year's presidential race a foregone conclusion.

The evidence is there for all to see. Compared to Trump, the Biden-Harris administration has been a decided downgrade — both economically and from a national security standpoint — and it isn't not even close. 

The statistics tell the tale. The Biden-Harris economy has been much worse for most Americans than the Trump economy. Cumulative inflation under Biden-Harris is above 20 percent, compared to just 8 percent under Trump. Real median income (i.e., after inflation) from 2016 to 2020 rose 9.2 percent, but from 2020 to 2023, it rose a paltry 0.6 percent. 

And as bad as those numbers are, the numbers are worse for new home buyers.  

In 2020, with mortgage rates averaging 3.10 percent, a $250,000 mortgage would have meant a monthly loan payment of $1,067.54. Fast-forward to 2023, when rates rose to an average of 6.81 percent. Combined with 20 percent inflation, a $300,000 mortgage would mean a monthly payment of $1,957.77 per month — an increase of more than 92 percent. 

The more than doubling of interest rates, combined with nominal inflation means that financing costs for any major purchase — whether a house, a vehicle or starting a new business — nearly doubled, making a mockery of claims by President Biden and his allies in the media that inflation is exaggerated. 

Ironically, Democrats are running ads claiming Trump is the candidate of the billionaire class. The data definitively contradict that claim, considering not just the above income statistics but also the fact that income inequality went down under Trump after rising under Barack Obama. 

I’m not holding my breath for Norah O’Donnell to fact-check that. 

The economy and inflation have always tended to dominate American presidential races, but national security and the international situation are also favorable to Team Trump. Yes, Trump is a dolt for continuing his weird bromance with the Mephistophelean Putin. Nonetheless, the world was much more peaceful under Trump. 

Since Biden took office, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the world has careened from one crisis to the next, with these three stooges showing nothing but impotence and incompetence. From the war in Ukraine to the Hamas attacks to Venezuela sinking deeper into anti-American authoritarianism to China abusing putative American ally the Philippines, this crowd has no answers and no strategy. 

For all the kvetching about Trump’s boorishness on the international stage, there was nothing of the sort of troubles we've been dealing with under Biden. In fact, Team Trump was able to negotiate the landmark Abraham Accords, advancing the normalization of Israel significantly in the region — a stark contrast to the current unending chaos.

The main issue the smart-set always falls back on is the existential threat Trump poses to democracy. Trump’s past behavior, irresponsible rhetoric and mangy collection of friends are definitely a serious cause for concern.

But Democrats have hardly shown much fealty to the high-minded ideals they claim to espouse. All the big talk about “defending democracy” loses its value when Biden and the Democrats are canceling their primaries, trying to purge Trump from the ballot, hounding Robert F. Kennedy Jr. out of the Democratic primaries, suing to knock Green Party candidate Jill Stein off general election ballots, backing MAGA candidates in GOP primaries in order to improve their own general election chances, and obstructing public access to information. 

Of course, their most egregious violation was the cover-up Biden’s mental decline. After he was force dout, Democrats allowed Kamala Harris to lock up their nomination after just a couple days of phone calls. Incredibly, the most recent Cabinet meeting was chaired not by the vice president, nor the chief of staff, nor any of the Cabinet members in the line of succession, but by the president’s spouse. Apparently, simply saying “I do” now qualifies someone to run the government. 

The elites have a point that Trump could be worse that Biden, but that’s hardly strong messaging. And for people struggling to pay their bills, who cannot afford a home or a new car or to start a business in Biden's economy, the pleas about “democracy” ring even more hollow. 

And that’s really the issue. The foundation of democracy is voting, and people not only have the right to vote, they have the right to vote their own perceived interests. For tens of millions of Americans, voting for Trump sure looks to be in their interest. 

Perhaps Mr. Cleese would prefer the 18th century British voter franchise; he and his super-smart friends can decide what is best for all the rest. Wealthy, famous, living on a tropical island and apparently free of any serious material cares, Cleese certainly must know what’s good for working-class families in Ohio. RIght?

Cleese has spent his life lampooning the elites. Perhaps his next subject should be himself. 

Keith Naughton is co-founder of Silent Majority Strategies, a public and regulatory affairs consulting firm, and a former Pennsylvania political campaign consultant.