There is no excuse for storming Congress but there is a reason for the Trump vote

It seems Donald Trump is leaving office even more controversially than he arrived. But why did almost half of US voters elect him in the first place?

Is branding 50% of Trumps vote as ‘deplorables’ just lazy? Media coverage tends to amplify the hysteria – Trump said this or Trump did that.

I have not read or heard a sustained analysis of why this political outsider was elected. Could it be the electoral system is not fit for purpose?

Both Republicans and Democrats have a vested interest in maintaining the two party system which doesn’t reflect everyone’s opinion. Both political parties benefit from political donations which leave them in the pockets of donors thus benefiting the insiders not the voters.

US Central Bank policy after the 2008 financial crises ensured the ‘haves’ got richer whilst the ‘have nots’ didn’t.

None of this is unique to the US, the UK also has a poor electoral system.

There is no excuse for storming Congress on groundless claims the election was stolen. But dig a little deeper and perhaps there is a reason for the large Trump vote.

Thomas Stewart, Belfast BT4

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