Trump Win Fuels Prejudice Surge: Study

Following his decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump has once again found himself at the center of a storm—not of political controversy, but of scientific scrutiny. A new study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin reveals that Trump’s 2024 election win coincided with a measurable increase in the social acceptability of prejudice toward certain marginalized groups. This research adds to a growing body of evidence linking political rhetoric to shifts in social norms and attitudes.

Study Connects Trump’s Victory to Increased Prejudice

The study, reported on by PsyPost, found that negative campaign rhetoric can have lasting effects on public attitudes toward minority groups. Specifically, the research showed that groups specifically targeted by Trump during his 2024 campaign experienced a significant increase in both the perceived acceptability of prejudice and self-reported prejudice against them. This suggests that Trump’s electoral victory wasn’t just a political milestone, but a social one—though perhaps not for the better [1].

Measuring the Shift

The research employed a multi-faceted approach to measuring prejudice. Social psychologists distinguish between different types of prejudice measurement:

Perceived acceptability of prejudice – How acceptable people believe prejudice against certain groups has become in society
Self-reported prejudice – Individuals’ own admissions of prejudicial attitudes toward specific groups

According to findings, both measures increased following Trump’s 2024 victory, indicating a dual shift: people not only felt more prejudiced themselves but also perceived that society as a whole had become more accepting of prejudice [2].

Trump’s Targeted Campaign Rhetoric

Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump continued the pattern of divisive rhetoric that characterized his previous presidential runs. His campaign specifically targeted several groups, including immigrants, racial minorities, and advocates for diversity and inclusion initiatives. Reuters reported that Trump made a series of inflammatory and racist statements on the campaign trail, using terms like “vermin” and “animals” when referring to certain groups [3].

Specific Campaign Statements

An analysis by Politico of more than 20 Trump rallies and campaign events revealed a consistent pattern of demonizing minority groups. The 2024 campaign featured:

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and calls to tighten border security
Opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs
Attacks on “radical left” groups
Dehumanizing language toward various minority communities

Trump’s campaign also promised to eradicate both public and private DEI policies, reflecting a broader pattern of targeting institutions and groups associated with progressive social values [4].

Historical Context and Previous Research

This isn’t the first time Trump’s political ascent has been linked to changes in social attitudes. Similar patterns were observed following his 2016 election victory. Research published in scientific journals has shown that explicit racial and religious prejudice significantly increased among Trump’s supporters after both the 2016 and 2024 elections, while decreasing among those opposed to him [5].

Social Psychology Insights

The field of social psychology has long studied how leadership rhetoric affects social norms. As noted in research from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, social norms—including our beliefs about what attitudes are acceptable in society—can shift rapidly in response to influential voices. The new research suggests that these shifts can be both measured and predicted based on campaign rhetoric [6].

Broader Implications

The implications of these findings extend far beyond academic interest. When prejudice becomes more socially acceptable, it can lead to:

Increased discrimination in hiring, housing, and other areas
Greater political polarization and social fragmentation
Erosion of civil discourse and democratic norms
Heightened risk of violence against targeted groups

The fact that these changes occur in tandem with electoral victories suggests that political campaigns may have profound effects on social fabric that extend well beyond policy outcomes. As one researcher noted, “changing social norms appear to explain these changes in prejudice,” indicating that what leaders say and how they say it matters greatly for social cohesion [7].

Political and Social Impact

The 2024 election was marked not just by Trump’s victory but by a campaign characterized by political violence, including an assassination attempt that injured Trump and killed a rally attendee. This context may have amplified the effects of prejudicial rhetoric, creating an environment where divisive language seemed more acceptable to some segments of the population.

Trump’s campaign promises to carry out anti-democratic measures, including declaring a state of emergency over immigration, further contributed to an atmosphere where challenging the acceptability of certain attitudes might itself be seen as unpatriotic or radical.

Looking Forward

While the study focuses on measuring changes in social attitudes, it raises important questions about the responsibilities of political leaders in shaping public discourse. If campaign rhetoric can measurably increase the acceptability of prejudice, what obligations do leaders have to promote inclusive rather than divisive language?

The research also suggests that these changes can be reversed. Studies have shown that confronting prejudice in workplace settings, for example, can “reset social norms,” indicating that social attitudes are malleable rather than fixed [6]. This offers hope that intentional efforts to promote inclusive norms might offset some of the negative effects of divisive political rhetoric.

As the United States grapples with increasing political polarization and social fragmentation, understanding the mechanisms by which political leaders influence social attitudes becomes increasingly critical. The study linking Trump’s 2024 victory to increased prejudice acceptance provides important insights into these processes while highlighting the need for continued research on the relationship between political leadership and social cohesion.