The book's authors argued that 'White, rural voters' chose Trump as a 'conduit for their rage'
MSNBC segment calling White rural voters 'most racist' in the country raises eyebrows
The authors of the book "White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy," argued that White, rural voters in America are the most dangerous group in America.
The authors of the book "White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy," argued that White rural voters in America are the most dangerous "geodemographic" group in America on MSNBC Monday.
Professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Thomas Schaller and journalist and opinion writer Paul Waldman claimed that White rural voters in America were racist and generally anti-democracy.
"They are the most racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-gay, geodemographic group in the country," Schaller said. "Second, they're the most conspiracist group. QAnon support and subscribers, election denialism, COVID denialism instead of scientific skepticism, Obama birtherism."
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The authors of the book "White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy," argued that White rural voters in America are the most dangerous "geodemographic" group in America on MSNBC Monday. (MSNBC screenshot)
Schaller also claimed that White rural voters don't believe in democracy.
"They don’t believe in an independent press, free speech," he said. "They’re most likely to say the president should be able to act unilaterally without any checks from Congress, or the courts or the bureaucracy. They're also the most strongly White nationalist and White Christian nationalist," Schaller said. "Fourth, they’re most likely to excuse or justify violence as an acceptable alternative to peaceful public discourse."
Waldman argued that White rural voters tend to like former President Trump because "they have more problematic education systems" and have been hurt by factories and work leaving their communities.
"We've seen a lot of manufacturing jobs leave from rural areas," he said.
"That kind of left them open to someone like Donald Trump who would come along and tell them something that was true, that there is a system that has not served them well," Waldman continued.
"They’re pissed off," MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski said.
"They have some reason to be [angry] with both parties," Waldman added.
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Waldman said that Trump was a "conduit for [White rural voters'] rage and anger." (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The journalist said that Trump was a "conduit for [White rural voters'] rage and anger."
"All that [Trump] gave them was essentially a way to essentially give a big middle finger to Democrats, to people who live in cities and to the rest of the country."
"How many steps away from South Africa is this?" political commentator Jenna Ellis wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to a clip of the segment.
"Can you imagine thinking rural Appalachia is full of White rage and is threatening democracy?" a popular TikToker and X influencer wrote. "We are too busy trying to keep our kids from taking opioids laced with fentanyl bought from an illegal who moved into a house that was owned by a poor family who couldn’t pay their taxes. Get over your elitist b-------."
How many steps away from South Africa is this? https://t.co/PeYasXpGt1
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) March 1, 2024
So you just took the phrase "white rage" and added "rural" in the middle of it? 1/10 for creativity, Paul.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 27, 2024
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo responded to a post advertising the book, "White Rural Rage," in another post.
So you just took the phrase ‘white rage’ and added ‘rural’ in the middle of it? 1/10 for creativity, Paul," Rufo wrote in response to Waldman's post on his book.
Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History.
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