Ari’s Angle: How Trump-Era Conservatives Have Convinced Rural America that Minorities Are The Problem

"community is strength sign" by John Cameron on unsplash

I first plunged into large-scale politics and social activism in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic consumed the world. During this time, I found myself in shock over the rhetoric surrounding the pandemic; rhetoric that led to a staggering jump in Asian-American hate crimes.

In rural America especially, minorities such as the LGBTQ community and immigrants face ruthless attacks and shoulder most of the blame for the hardships in our country. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. However, Trump-era conservatives have done a really good job of spinning the truth and pitting communities against one another. After all, nothing unites a group of people better than a shared enemy. Here are two examples.

One of the largest hot button issues spearheaded by Trump-era conservatives is the so-called attack on “family values,” which they say is brought on by the LGBTQ community. For example, at the end of 2024, Michigan state Rep. Josh Schriver introduced a measure that aims to preserve “the sanctity of marriage.” He even wrote “Make gay marriage illegal again. This is not remotely controversial, nor extreme,” on X. In addition, these politicians are peddling a narrative that children are being “groomed” by the LGBTQ community and “mutilated” in schools; both claims have been debunked time and time again. 

When faced with discussions of the rising cost of living, Trump-era conservatives put the blame on immigrants by saying they are stealing American jobs and taking advantage of social welfare programs. The irony behind this accusation is how both actions contradict one another. Immigrants cannot both steal American wealth and access programs designed for impoverished Americans. These programs have complex applications that require proof of income and household characteristics. In addition, it’s incredibly difficult to access them fraudulently because of “ongoing checks and reassessment of eligibility,” and a system they use to detect unreported income, which is characterized as “the most rigorous of any public benefit program, and administrative and criminal enforcement mechanisms.”

So how do they push these narratives? Well, there are a few ways. First, Trump-era conservatives benefit from the homogeneity of the communities they serve. The majority of rural and farming communities in Kansas are predominantly white and Christian, which leads to very little differences in social and cultural norms among individuals. These communities are then less aware of the impact of racism, homophobia, and transphobia, because the majority of the population don’t face these issues.

Because the majority of people in rural and farming communities don’t face racism, homophobia, and transphobia, issues such as police brutality, racial inequality, and LGBTQ rights are not at the top of their list of policy priorities. With all of this context, It’s no wonder when looking at Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign platform, which largely championed social issues and targeted minority communities, why a white rural Kansan may be apprehensive about voting for her.

While Trump-era conservatives are able to use these social and cultural norms to support their narrative, there is one more important piece to the puzzle: We enable their narratives. 

I want to preface this section by saying that negative reactions to Trump’s disastrous policies and the people who support them are understandable and valid. Each day, I grow increasingly angry over the actions that come out of the Oval Office and frustrated with members of my community who support them. For a lot of us, these policies are a matter of life or death. However, I truly believe that the only way to fight political polarization and defeat Trump is by extending an olive branch.

In today’s climate, Republicans who want to stand up against Donald Trump face a double-edged sword. For example, if they were to abandon Trump’s camp, they would be shunned by parts of (if not the entire) their community and face fire from both sides. As we have seen over the years, Republicans who defy Trump are shunned, primaried, and banished from the party. This is why a lot of Republican politicians support policies that hurt their districts and are forced to gaslight their constituents into believing the opposite. In addition, our side has put up walls and used charged language against those who see the error of Trump’s ways too late. This makes it almost impossible for someone to feel safe stepping away from Trump. 

We make the mistake of alienating rural conservatives that could seek refuge with us. I want to invite those of you reading this to sit down with conservatives in your community and talk honestly about what is happening. To be patient and know that while you may not change their mind from one, two or even four conversations, you’re planting seeds that will eventually give them the courage to step away from Trump.

My point here is not to say that every progressive is responsible for continuously having hard discussions. Some people may not have the energy to participate in these conversations, which is okay. However, these discussions must happen. Those of us who are comfortable and patient enough should be more open to engaging in continuous, open dialogue with people across the aisle. When we do this, we not only will repair our relationships with those people, but assure them that they will have a community to turn to when they leave Trump’s camp.

The reality that we must confront is that Trump-era conservatives take advantage of rural and farming communities. They know that the best way to continue winning elections and driving large profits is through neighbors building taller fences, brothers blocking one another on Facebook, and using rural communities as pawns in their political game of chess. They want us to continue pulling farther and farther away from one another and erode our tight knit communities, because it's profitable for them and their donors. That’s how Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which strips hundreds of billions of dollars away from rural communities and lines the pockets of the nation’s top earners, is being successfully marketed as a mechanism to stop “waste, fraud, and abuse.” 

I want to leave you with the following from the Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paul Freire.

This, then, is the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well. The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves. Only power that springs from the weakness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free both.

The only way we can move forward as a society (for those of us with the patience) is to have deep, honest conversations and acknowledge the ways in which we are also to blame for how divided we are today. It is only through this care and grace that we can unite to fight for a better, equitable country.

This is the 2nd edition of Ari’s Angle, a summer of 2025 opinion series written by guest columnist Ariona Cook, shared May 2025. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.