The Reagan Democrats, blue-collar Americans, made Reagan president. If it weren’t for them he wouldn’t have had the votes. I suspect the same is true for Trump. I see the blue-collars liking Trump just as they liked Reagan.
I know a few blue-collar Democrats, and they do not trust Cruz or Rubio in the slightest.
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The working blue collars lost the most - the lower taxes on the rich did help raise everyone's money but when globalization happened the rich no longer had to invest their money at home. The factory jobs that would have opened from "supply side aka trickle down economics" did not happen in the USA but happened in Mexico and China, etc.
So when Republicans defend trickle down - they do so at the same time they defend free trade globalization and are too blind to realize that this no longer applies to American workers of a certain economic class.
Trump’s father built homes for blue collar workers. Trump went around with his father working along side him. He understands blue collar.