America is fascinated with anti-heroes like Trump — race, patriarchy, and democracy in a broken society
Writing this took me a while because I wanted to keep the peace and harmony I felt from pulling away for a time from the deluge of American politics. Many people I know are spiraling into what can only be described as politics-induced depression. To avoid falling into the abyss myself, I retreated to a silent Vipassana meditation course for twelve days, timed perfectly, starting the morning after the election. In that silence, I dodged the endless post-election wailing, finger-pointing, and gnashing of teeth from friends and family, as well as the media’s analyses. But not everyone has that privilege.
Before I stepped away, I wrote a few pieces about why a round 2 with Trump would be a bad idea for everyone. Now, we must urgently brace ourselves for the onslaught of another Trump presidency. His first term was everything we feared it would be — chaotic, regressive, and destructive to many of the masses. Yet, it was a financial bonanza for a select wealthy few and a comforting delusion for others deceived into whiteness.
Let’s face it: America votes on ideology, not policy or economics, no matter how loudly we pretend otherwise. All the presidential debates were useless. The media is complicit. Journalists (primarily males) kept requesting Harris to repeat her economic plans in detail. At the same time, Trump rambled nonsense, which they tried to interpret as sense, knowing full well that they believe in the patriarchy and race and would never support Harris even if she was a goddess. Race and patriarchy dominate the national psyche. They affect everything else, so why would voting for a candidate be different? These ideologies, however fictional, manifest with devastating real-world consequences for all of us.
America’s Love Affair With the Anti-Hero
There is something else I have noticed. Trump’s victory is not just about ideology — it also taps into a uniquely American cultural phenomenon: the romanticization of the maverick, the criminal, the outlaw. Americans have always had a fascination with white male figures who break the rules, pull one over on the law, and live on the edge of morality.
Look at historical outlaws like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jesse James, and Billy the Kid. These criminals, who murdered people and robbed banks, trains, and stagecoaches, are remembered less for their crimes and more as anti-heroes. They’re immortalized in film and folklore as symbols of rebellion, rugged independence, gritty men, and the unyielding spirit of the frontier.
Anti-heroes typically rebel against the norms, are polarizing, immortalized by the media, and are always morally complex. Examples of other modern versions include:
- Elon Musk, Tech entrepreneur, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX
- Kanye West (Ye), Musician, Cultural icon, designer
- Jordan Belfort, famous former stockbroker, “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
- Joe Exotic (“Tiger King”), Eccentric zoo operator and reality TV star
- Steve Jobs, Apple Co-Founder
- Edward Snowden, Whistleblower who leaked NSA surveillance secrets.
In the American psyche, such figures are lionized because they represent a twisted version of freedom — the idea that success comes not from playing by the rules but by breaking them. Trump successfully taps into this same narrative. He’s not a traditional hero, nor does he pretend to be. He is brazen, loud, and brutish. He’s a villain for sure to the masses, but one that many identify with because he embodies a mythical ideal of taking what he wants, rules be damned.
Main Reasons Why America Votes the Way It Does
The Patriarchy: Shared Investment to Dominate
White men overwhelmingly vote for Trump because he upholds the patriarchy that props them up, even when his policies harm their economic interests. White women? They vote for him, too, often because they’re invested in maintaining the power structure for their husbands, fathers, and sons. Groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy show just how deeply some will cling to this system, no matter the cost. ‘Whiteness’ is a social construct that privileges people who are perceived as white, often at the expense of others.
Black Men and the Patriarchy
Black men often support Trump for a different but connected reason. Despite being marginalized by whiteness, the patriarchy still offers them a sliver of value. The rising educational and economic achievements of many Black women in recent decades have, to some, felt like a threat to their manhood. For them, voting for Kamala Harris — a highly qualified Black woman — would have felt like giving up the last whiffs of perceived male power.
Delusions and the Denial of Reality
Trump voters ignored everything about his record:
- His criminal indictments.
- His blatant racism.
- His catastrophic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Blackmailing leaders of other countries.
- His relentless efforts to strip the nation of its social safety nets.
There are many more; I can’t list them all. Some others have tried unsuccessfully.
They dismissed his age, erratic behavior, and moral bankruptcy. They overlooked the gutting of abortion rights, voting rights, and immigration protections. Why? Because clinging to the ideologies of whiteness and patriarchy felt safer than reckoning with change.
Even those who claimed to be “tired of the establishment” were lying to themselves. They’re not tired of established racism or misogyny. They’re just tired of being asked to confront their complicity. It’s easier to believe that Trump’s promises to let vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild” with health or strip others of dignity as mere bluffs than to accept the reality of their own insecurities and fears.
The Road Ahead Will Be Hard to Watch: A Trump Presidency for All
And so, here we are. Trump will be president of everyone with American nationality — whether they voted for him or not, whether they’re immigrants from the last decade or descendants of immigrants who, like him, pretend they’ve always belonged to America more than Native Americans. For our survival in this country, we must come together, understand each other’s perspectives, and work towards a common future.
For those of us grounded in reality, we must accept what’s coming: policies that will embolden the wealthy, strip protections from the vulnerable, and deepen the divides already tearing at the country’s social fabric. But we can also prepare ourselves. Understanding cause and effect empowers us to respond to what’s next, not just panic reactions.
To Trump Supporters: Own Your Choice
Congratulations to those who voted for Trump because they genuinely believe in him because of their ideologies. I hope this belief in whiteness and the patriarchy continues to serve them well.
If you’re celebrating his victory because you believe these systems inherently make you better, stronger, or more deserving, then I trust you’ll also take responsibility for the consequences of those beliefs. I know you won’t, though. You will pretend you knew better and conveniently forget your past actions, which affects your future.
To Everyone Else: Survive and Thrive
The fight isn’t over for those who opposed Trump and believe in a more equitable, environmentally supportive, collaborative, and humane society. We must brace ourselves for what’s to come and discover ways not just to survive but to thrive in the shadow of his policies and actions and those of his puppeteers. Our commitment to this fight is what will keep us going, and it’s what will ultimately lead us to a better future.
I will continue writing this blog to help us navigate the challenges ahead. Together, we will face the consequences of this election — not with delusion or despair, but with clarity and purpose. It’s a long road ahead for all of us, but we can walk it together.
Thanks for reading. Talk to you in my next piece. I look forward to all your comments.
