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In 2024, over 77 million Americans voted for Donald Trump. Friend of Wisdom of Crowds Michael Brendan Dougherty, a writer and conservative commentator at the National Review, was one of them. However, MBD (as he is known) did not vote for Trump in 2020 nor in 2016. In fact, he was an early conservative opponent of Trump. In 2016, MBD wrote: “[Trump] is clearly a product of a decadent society, not the scourge or redeemer of one.”

MBD did not disagree with Trump on his main issues: trade, immigration, and a restrained foreign policy. But he did not believe that the man has the character fit for office.

So, what happened? Did MBD change his principles, or did Trump live up to them? Why did MBD vote for Trump, and what does that tell us about the process of picking a candidate, and of the formation of political judgment in general?

Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic join MBD to discuss this question and much more. Did MBD change his mind about Trump’s character? Which of Trump’s first term achievements turned MBD into a supporter? What can we expect from a second Trump term — both in domestic policy, as well as in the increasingly dangerous international scene? In the course of discussing these questions, MBD defines the “working class” in American terms, and talks about his own experiences working in a chemical factory.

In the bonus portion for paid subscribers, MBD explains the complicated relationship that pro lifers have with Trump, and debates whether the #Resistance movement will return.

Required Reading and Listening:

* Our 2021 podcast episode with MBD (WoC).

* “The Case Against Esoteric Trumpism” by Michael Brendan Dougherty (The Week).

* “My First Vote for Trump” by Michael Brendan Dougherty (National Review).

* My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's Search For Home by Michael Brendan Dougherty (Amazon).

This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Governance and Markets.

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