Why did so many men vote for Trump? He reminded them that they are important.

Are men really necessary?

Based on last week’s election results and exit polls, the answer is a resounding yes.

America needs a Republican duo like Donald Trump and JD Vance to correct its course. I’m not the only one who thinks like that.

Many Americans voted to re-elect former President Trump in this election, nearly 75 million – myself included. But the demographic that voted most for Trump is men, including Latino men, white men and men without college degrees.

For decades, extremists on the political and social left have been telling the men of America loudly and often that they are stupid, predatory and unnecessary.

Portrayed as ignorant, vile and incompetent by influential progressives in higher education, the entertainment industry and the news media, America’s men exacted their revenge on Election Day.

They voted for Trump in large numbers.

Latino men love Trump

One of the most important data points of this election was the incredible increase in Latino men who voted for Trump this year compared to 2020.

In 2020, Latino men voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden, 59% to 36%. In this election, Latino men voted for Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris by a 12-point margin, 55% to 43%. That’s a staggering 19 point shift in Trump’s favor in just four years.

In Texas, where Latinos make up 40% of the population, Trump’s gains were even more surprising. In Starr County, on the border with Mexico and with a predominantly Latino population, voters moved to Trump by an impressive 76 percentage points compared to 2016.

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Why did Latinos in Texas flock to Trump? This was due in large part to the chaos at the border that Biden and Harris first caused and then ignored.

Latinos living in counties along the Texas-Mexico border turned out in large numbers for Trump, giving the Republican a narrow lead in those areas. This is unprecedented and a warning to any Democrat who might be tempted to ignore border issues again.

One of the predictable reactions of progressives and the news media to Trump’s victory is that it proves that America is racist. In reality, Trump has brought a much more diverse group of voters into the Republican camp. The Republican candidate won more Asian, black and Latino votes this year than previous Republican candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney.

How did Trump do that? He appealed to working-class voters of all ethnic and racial groups by emphasizing how the economy is affecting ordinary Americans, particularly the high costs of food, rent and other essentials that have caused so much suffering for so many.

Even now, progressives are trying to ignore this reality.

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ABC talk show host Jimmy Kimmel held back tears after the election, saying, “It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country run, for health care…” . for the poor people, for the middle class… for everyone who voted against him, and guess what – it was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too, you just don’t realize it yet.

Kimmel clearly doesn’t pay attention to exit polls. Tens of millions of the people he listed — women, legal immigrants, and working- and middle-class Americans — voted for Trump.

For her, Tuesday wasn’t a “terrible” night; It was the beginning of a hopeful future.

JD Vance spoke to American men

I voted for Trump based on my politics and turned my nose up a bit because I didn’t like his personality, his character, or his legal problems.

But that’s not how many men who voted for Trump see him or Vice President-elect Vance.

Working-class men and women have formed Trump’s base for more than a decade. But this time even more of them voted for him. About 56% of voters without a college degree voted for Trump, up 6 points from 2020.

And men under 45 saw a 7 percentage point increase for Biden in 2020 and a 6 percentage point increase in their support for Trump in 2024.

The Trump campaign knew its base. It was great to appear on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which is particularly popular with young men, three hours into the campaign.

According to Axios, Harris’ interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast reached 800,000 views, while Trump received more than 46 million views on Rogan’s show. Vance reached over 15 million views when he appeared with Rogan just before Election Day.

Vance, the first millennial elected vice president, has a strong appeal, particularly to many men. He is a gun-toting, bearded former Marine who is also highly educated and intelligent and seems to adore his wife and children.

In Trump’s America, men are necessary

The term “toxic masculinity” dominated discussions about men for years. Any success by men was dismissed as a privilege of the patriarchy. The #MeToo movement believed men were guilty until proven innocent.

The men were not so subtly told to be quiet and go away. They were more dangerous than a bear in the forest. And less necessary than a fish with a bike.

The Harris campaign doubled down on this narrative, focusing on young women to the point of offering. She hung out on “The View” and “Call Her Daddy” and declined Rogan’s invitation to speak to the millions of young men who listen to his podcast.

Trump and Vance sent a very different message: Men, you belong. Men, we appreciate you. Men who are masculine, kind, hardworking and family oriented. You are necessary and you are vital. We will work together to fix this so that the people we love are safe and prosperous.

It’s a message that men wanted and needed to hear. And they rewarded Trump and Vance with their votes.

In four years, if the economy is fairer, the border is more secure and the world is safer, they will likely reward Vance or another Republican chosen to replace Trump again.

And if our nation actually makes that progress in the coming years, we can all thank the patriarchy for voting for Trump and Vance this year.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered straight to your inbox.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Trump won the Latino male vote in 2024 This shouldn’t surprise you