Donald Trump’s victory set off an earthquake in the political world.
He won in places that Republicans never have.
And Donald Trump set in motion one trend that struck fear into the hearts of Democrats.
Donald Trump expanded the Republican Party’s political coalition
President-elect Donald Trump created massive shifts in the electorate since he first came down the golden escalator in 2015.
His victory this year was powered by trends that could reshape politics for years to come.
Trump became the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years and won the most Electoral Votes for a GOP candidate since the 1988 Election.
NBC News national political correspondent Steve Kornacki was shocked at the shifts in the electorate this year.
He said that Trump transformed the Republican Party since his first Presidential campaign.
Kornacki looked at the shifts in certain demographics since the 2012 Election.
“Remember, three straight elections Trump’s been the Republican candidate,” Kornacki said. “So pre-Trump voters under 30 were going for the Democrats by 23 points. Folks with incomes under $50,000, 22 points for the Democrats. Folks without college degrees, four points for the Democrats.”
Trump cut the margin with the youth vote in half and won voters with incomes under $50,000 and without college degrees.
Voters without college degrees have now become a core part of the Republican coalition.
Troubling trends emerge for Democrats
Trump turned in a historic performance for a Republican candidate with minority voters.
“The black vote still overwhelmingly Democratic, but that’s a 15-point shift,” Kornacki explained. “It used to be 87 points for the Democrats, down to 72. How about this? You’ve heard a lot about it this week. This is what the numbers look like. Hispanic voters were 44 points Democratic before Donald Trump. Now, basically a toss-up constituency. And Asian Americans, a 32-point shift there as well.”
Democrats are losing their dominance with minority voters, which is a long-term problem for them because they lose white voters.
Kornacki noted that Trump swept all seven battleground states but he also made gains in every state in the country.
“The other big story this week has to do with the popular vote and how Trump pulled that off,” Kornacki explained. “Here’s one answer. Big blue states with very diverse populations, this new coalition that Donald Trump’s assembled, it meant that he didn’t win any of these, but he made some giant strides.”
Trump made inroads in blue states with his increase in minority support.
“California, biggest of them all. Twenty-nine point Biden win four years ago,” Kornacki said. “Currently, only 18 for Harris, her home state. Look at New York. Basically Trump cutting that Democratic margin in half. Go down this list and look inside those states, and you’ll see it. Blue collar areas, cities, metro areas with large Hispanic populations. That’s where Trump made his big gains there.”
The Republican Party is expanding its base of support under Donald Trump.
Democrats rely on trying to run the score up with college-educated voters.
But less than 40% of the country has a bachelor’s degree.
The GOP is in a stronger position to compete after this election because of Donald Trump.
