One of the recurring reasons associated with voters who indicate they intend to vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is that he "wants what's best for the United States." No matter if that "bestness" is politically incorrect or has the appearance of being greedy. More and more voters are voicing they want a future leader who is also a protector in chief, someone who can "get things done," apparently even if that chief doesn't truly embody the same goals or beliefs.
Evangelical voters, for example, were perceived as helping Trump win the South Carolina primary, because they believe Trump will the "best guardian of their liberties," reports The Washington Post. But this counters the many accounts of Trump's lack of true, personal religious interests and integrity.
"Trump is a fighter," Mark Burns, pastor of Greenville, S.C.-based Christian Television Network, told Fox News. "He is the one to fight for Christianity and for our conservative values we hold dear."
In a Jan. 28 article published by CNN about why people were voting for Trump, writers indicated Trump was "tapping into the fears and anxieties that have erupted in an extraordinary presidential campaign." The article reflected responses from 150 people, including supporters and opponents of Trump, who CNN reporters interviewed in 31 U.S. cities.
"Men and women, overwhelmingly white, frustrated with the country's first black president, fearful that they are being displaced by minorities and immigrants, and nostalgic for the way America used to be," reported CNN.
Other reasons of support shared by voters in the CNN piece included that Trump exudes an uncomplicated confidence rare in other politicians; has business accomplishments that offer reassurance that he'll "put the economy back where it belongs"; is imperviousness to the typical boundaries around race; and has provocative, unvarnished self-expression with which they are inclined to agree.
Additional factors feeding people's enthusiasm about Trump, according to the CNN response, is the belief that Americans are unsafe, and he will protect them; an appreciation for the simple good versus evil worldview he presents; an admiration of his celebrity status; and a faith that he will restore an America they feel has been lost to them, and dream of experiencing again.
Plenty of people also have said they agree with Trump's anti-establishment anger.
The Washington Post's lead reporter covering Trump, Jenna Johnson, stated Tuesday (Feb. 23) that he is very calculated and purposeful in what he says. "Trump can seem all over the place, especially when he doesn't seem to be answering the question he was just asked in a television interview. He's purposely not answering that question, pivoting to another topic and talking over any follow-up questions from the host until he or she gives up trying to get an answer and moves on to the next question.
