Many in Youngstown, Ohio, believe the president-elect will tackle the town’s decline this time. Others are worried about his character flaws. Their concerns help explain how he returned to power – and how his second term might play out

Summary

Despite broken promises like the return of factory jobs, Donald Trump continues to gain support in Ohio’s rust belt, including Youngstown, a former Democratic stronghold.

Voters feel abandoned by both parties but resonate with Trump’s anti-establishment rhetoric and perceived authenticity.

Economic decline, disillusionment with political elites, and anger over issues like trade deals and student debt forgiveness fuel their frustration.

Many voters believe Trump’s willingness to “tear down the system” aligns with their grievances, even as doubts remain about his solutions.

Their bitterness reflects decades of industrial decline and neglect.

  • @[email protected]English
    18•8 hours ago

    They complain about jobs being industrial decline due to the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, but then blame inflation on efforts to increase the minimum wage to a living wage, rather than corporate profit-gouging.

    While many of them might not mind living in a country with a class of underpaid manufacturing workers—presumedly the undocumented immigrants they simultaneously want to deport—the better option is to invest in economic development that bolsters the country’s modern service economy, or specialized manufacturing facilities that can compete without needing ineffective tariffs.

    And when Trump implements those tariffs, rather than recognizing their role in inevitable price increases, those same people will instead blame underpaid workers, inevitable counter-tariffs, or anyone else but Trump.

    They also won’t recognize that any economic growth in the next four years won’t benefit them in the slightest, but rather go straight into the pockets of those responsible for outsourcing jobs in the first place. All the while supporting them, with anyone else just needing to ‘pull themselves up’ with imaginary bootstraps.

    • @Windex007
      9•8 hours ago

      Things aren’t fine. Anywhere. 2 years ago. 4 years ago. 10 years ago.

      It isn’t about the solutions to these people, and why should it be? Both sides have been in power, neither side made a material difference to the situation of the general population in the rust belt.

      So all that’s even left to resonate is tone, and at least the “This country has been ruined” message from the R’s at least aligns broadly with the general angst.

      • @[email protected]
        10•7 hours ago

        Yeah. Too bad it’s the R’s that fucking helped ruin it. Fucking idiots vote for the very people that screwed then in the first place and then convinced them how bad things have gotten.

        • @Windex007
          4•2 hours ago

          I’m not going to say both sides are equal, they aren’t.

          But, look at this graph and I think you’ll clearly see the differences between R and D control of the government.

          Or, you won’t, and see that regardless of who’s been in government, there has been almost no impact on real wages while productivity continues to climb.

          OBVIOUSLY wages aren’t the only measure of how things are going, and OBVIOUSLY To leadership has made many things meaningfully worse for many people.

          But like, there are some GLARING issues that are responsible for a massive chunk of people’s unhappiness and neither party has the balls to do anything about it so they’re both just running identity politics playbooks. It’s pathetic.

        • NoneOfUrBusiness
          1•6 hours ago

          Fucking idiots vote for the very people that screwed then in the first place and then convinced them how bad things have gotten.

          Read the OP again. “A former democratic stronghold”. Also things have been screwed with Dems in power too, because they refuse to do anything except cry while the GOP screws things.