How Blue-Collar America Went Red

You’ve heard of Revenge of the Nerds. The 2024 election of Donald Trump was the Revenge of the Blue-Collar Americans.

Let’s face it: this was a long time coming. Ever since the start of the Industrial Revolution and burgeoning technology, the blue-collar worker in America has been marginalized, forgotten, and talked down to.

Our political class hasn’t been sympathetic in the least to their plight. Remember Joe the Plumber? Recall the coal miners who were told their jobs would vanish but were reassured that they could become coders? And let’s not forget the COVID lockdowns, during which we were lectured about the virtues of working from home. How can a tradesman or service worker work remotely? Perhaps most galling was the narrative that blue-collar workers needed to work harder to pay off the debts of white-collar workers under the guise of student loan relief.

Even when they went to their trade unions, they didn’t get sympathy. Worried that your manufacturing job was going to disappear due to new E.V. Mandates? Too bad — shut up and pay your dues, so we can shovel your money to politicians and causes that you don’t support or that aren’t in your personal interest.

Then came an unlikely compadre: a billionaire by the name of Donald Trump, who attended the Wharton School of Business, of all places. Trump is never shy to wear a hard hat at a construction site, or work in a McDonald’s, or ride in a garbage truck for a photo op. He would talk about all the buildings he built and all the jobs he created. He’d float proposals like no income taxes on tips and high tariffs on China.

To borrow from Jeff Foxworthy, if you were shocked by the alliance between Trump and blue-collar workers on Election Day, you might be an elitist. The reality is, Trump has tapped into the frustrations of millions who felt abandoned by the political establishment.

The last century has not been kind to blue-collar workers in America, but the tide is turning. White-collar workers may soon find themselves in similar circumstances. With artificial intelligence on the horizon, many jobs once deemed untouchable — such as those in medicine, law, finance, and engineering — are at risk of being disrupted.

Meanwhile, good luck to companies like Nvidia, Google, and Meta in developing A.I. that can shingle a roof, fix a broken pipe, or wire a house for electricity. If you’re a white-collar worker whose job disappears and you look to blue-collar neighbors for sympathy, don’t be surprised if they shrug and suggest you consider a career in coal mining.

If you wear a tool belt on the job or work in the service industry, chances are you’re feeling more optimistic after November 5. With no student debt, an ally in the White House, and job skills that can’t be digitized, the future may very well belong to you.