Trump beat Harris in a landslide. Will his shy voters feel emboldened?
We were told it could go either way. Then Donald Trump won in a landslide.
The decisive outcome of the United States presidential election − which saw Trump win several battleground states − has shocked Americans across the political spectrum, who were told by pollster after pollster the results would be tight, essentially a coin toss with either candidate winning by a slim margin.
That didn't happen.
Now, people on social media are speculating, as they did in 2016: Did the outcome have to do with supposedly "shy" Trump voters, those who keep their support for him a secret? And how are these people feeling about the results? Vindicated? Relieved? Or wary, even though the election went their way?
"Just like there's a range of human experience, I'm sure there's a range of reactions as well," psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis says. "It'll be interesting to see if people are more open about it, about voting for him, because the elections have become more polarized over time. ... We do have more at stake when we disclose what we voted for, because there's become a big divide."
Why would someone be secretive about their vote?
The concept of the "secret Trump voter" is complicated. In many ways, mental health and sociology experts say, people have less reason to be shy about publicly supporting Trump than ever before: He's already served one term as president and now will serve another. He's become more mainstream in popular culture. He survived an assassination attempt, galvanizing support.
But, in some places, saying you intend to vote for Trump still carries major social risk, especially in liberal communities. That goes for major cities in swing states, where voters may have felt more comfortable casting a ballot for Trump in private than telling their friends about it.
But who were these voters? Well, it depends on who you ask.
"Suburban moms and wives are the new shy Trump voter — 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 X: "A bunch of them were shy Trump voters, probably lying not to their husbands, but to their judgmental lefty gal pals." Another X user insisted the secretive Trump voters this time weren't women but young men: "They may be the closest thing to the 'shy Trump voters' who could explain the magnitude of Trump’s win this time"
In actuality, shy Trump voters likely encompass a range of identities and backgrounds. They also were probably quiet about their support of Trump for different reasons. Some may not have wanted to catch flack from liberal neighbors. Others may feel genuinely conflicted about voting for Trump.
For those in the latter camp, Sarkis says, their "shyness" might be an opportunity for introspection. That goes for shy Kamala Harris voters too.
"Is there a reason why you feel uncomfortable with the candidates?" she says. "Are we not sharing who we voted for because it's our fundamental right, or is it that we have some cognitive dissonance, meaning that our beliefs and values don't necessarily match with the candidate? And maybe we don't necessarily want to be aligned with that candidate, but we may have had reasons for voting for them that we don't want to get into."
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Other than feeling conflicted, people may not have wanted to publicly talk about their vote because they're simply tired. For Republicans and Democrats alike, being shy about their vote may not have been out of shame, but out of exhaustion with having to justify their viewpoints.
"Many people are now at the point where they would rather not discuss politics, because it's become so polarized," Sarkis says. "We may also be surprised by who voted for who, and we have all different reasons for that. It could be belief system. It could be party affiliation. There's all sorts of different reasons."
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Plus, even though Trump is more popular, he's still polarizing. Many people know the strong reactions his name alone can provoke, and, regardless of how they voted, choose to avoid him as a conversation topic altogether.
"Trumpism has become a kind of epithet, right?" Matthew Dallek, a historian and professor of political management at George Washington University, says. "I imagine that there are some Trump voters who are reluctant to admit or openly acknowledge their support for Trump."
How are the 'shy Trump voters' feeling right now?
Something to keep in mind is that not all shy Trump voters are likely elated right now. Many are probably happy, but others might be just as stressed and anxious as some of their liberal counterparts. Just because the election went their way, that doesn't mean they think the future is bright.
"As human beings, we have a hard time with ambiguity," Sarkis says. "There may still be some questions as to what's going to happen. There's what he said he is going to do and what actually is going to happen. ... There's questions on both sides."
And as long as the political climate remains vitriolic, many people are going to remain shy about their votes, no matter who they cast them for.