Trump’s victory and why shy voters still don’t speak out

by Junna Base November 6, 2024

We were told it could go either way. Then Donald Trump won in a landslide.

The decisive outcome of the United States presidential election, in which Trump won several battleground states, shocked Americans across the political spectrum, with pollster after pollster telling them the results would be close, essentially a coin toss in which one of the candidates would win by a narrow margin.

That didn’t happen.

Now people on social media are speculating, as they did in 2016: Did the result have to do with supposedly “shy” Trump voters keeping their support for him secret? And how do these people feel about the results? Confirmed? Relieved? Or cautious, even though the election went their way?

“Just as there is a range of human experiences, there is certainly a range of reactions,” says psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis. “It will be interesting to see if people become more open about it and vote for him, because elections have become more polarized over time. … There is more at stake if we reveal what we voted for, because there is going to be a big divide.”

Why should anyone keep their vote secret?

The concept of the “secret Trump voter” is complicated. Experts say that in many ways, people have less reason to publicly support Trump than ever before: He has already served one term as president and will now serve another term. It has become increasingly mainstream in popular culture. He survived an assassination attempt and thus mobilized support.

But in some places, claiming that one intends to vote for Trump still carries great social risk, particularly in liberal communities. That’s true in big cities in swing states, where voters may have felt more comfortable casting their vote for Trump privately than telling their friends.

But who were these voters? Well, it depends on who you ask.

“Suburban moms and wives are the new shy Trump voters – LISTEN TO THEM,” one X user wrote. In response to a tweet about white suburban women voting for Trump, Fox News contributor Guy Benson wrote on Another

In fact, shy Trump voters likely span a range of different identities and backgrounds. They also likely remained silent about their support for Trump for various reasons. Some may not have wanted to hear the criticism from liberal neighbors. Others may feel genuinely undecided about whether to vote for Trump.

For those in the latter camp, Sarkis says, their “shyness” could be an opportunity for introspection. This also applies to Kamala Harris’ shy voters.

“Is there a reason the candidates make you feel uncomfortable?” she says. “Are we not sharing who we voted for because it is our fundamental right, or is it because we have some cognitive dissonance, meaning our beliefs and values do not necessarily align with the candidate? And maybe we don’t necessarily want to be. “We agree with this candidate, but we may have had reasons for voting for him that we don’t want to go into.”

Aside from feeling conflicted, people may not have wanted to talk publicly about their choice because they were simply tired. For both Republicans and Democrats, their reluctance to vote may not have been due to shame but rather from exhaustion at having to justify their positions.

“Many people are now at a point where they would rather not discuss politics because it is so polarized,” says Sarkis. “It might also surprise us who voted for whom, and we all have different reasons for that. It could be a belief system. It could be a party affiliation. There are many different reasons.”

And even though Trump is more popular, he is still polarizing. Many people, knowing the strong reactions his name alone can provoke, choose to avoid him as a topic of conversation altogether, regardless of how they voted.

“Trumpism has become something of an epithet, hasn’t it?” Matthew Dallek, a historian and professor of political management at George Washington University, says. “I imagine there are some Trump voters who are hesitant to admit or openly acknowledge their support for Trump.”

How are the “shy Trump voters” doing right now?

Keep in mind that not all timid Trump voters are likely to be enthusiastic right now. Many are probably happy, but others may be just as stressed and anxious as some of their liberal colleagues. Just because the election went their way doesn’t mean they see a bright future.

“As humans, we have a hard time with ambiguity,” says Sarkis. “There may still be some questions about what will happen. It’s about what he said and what will actually happen. … There are questions on both sides.”

And as long as the political climate remains vitriolic, many people will remain cautious about voting, no matter who they vote for.

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