Why do people still back Trump, after everything? Five things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking

Despite Trump’s criminal record and other controversies, his supporters still see him as someone who is tough on immigration and good for the economy, an anthropologist who studies polarization finds

Trump’s base cannot simply be dismissed as racist “deplorables,” as Hillary Clinton famously said in 2016, or as country bumpkins in red MAGA hats. Trump voters trend older, white, rural, religious and less educated. But they include others outside those demographic groups. Photo: AP/Rebecca Droke

For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious, prompting some to question: How could anyone still vote for Trump?

Some of the evidence Trump’s critics cite include his two impeachments, multiple criminal indictments at the state and federal levels and a felony conviction. Opponents also say that Trump is a threat to democracy, a misogynist, racist, a serial liar and a rapist.