The look on Alex Wagner’s face on MSNBC? Priceless. As she sat down with a group of black voters in Philadelphia—usually a rock-solid Democratic base—she seemed genuinely shocked as they explained why they’re supporting Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. These voters, living in one of the swing states Democrats count on, had no problem sharing their frustrations with their former party’s candidates. And let’s be honest: these responses weren’t the “politics as usual” soundbites you’d expect on national television.
One woman summed up her perspective with clarity and no apologies. “I’m not putting [Kamala Harris] down because she’s a woman of color,” she began before cutting to the chase: “I just don’t think she has the personality to be a strong leader.” Now, when a party that’s championed “firsts” and diversity for years loses support over actual qualifications and leadership traits? That’s significant. The voters weren’t holding back, highlighting their doubts about Harris’s ability to stand up to powerful leaders like Putin. It’s clear these voters are looking for someone with confidence, strength, and experience—qualities they’re not seeing in the Democratic ticket.
“I don’t think that she has what it takes to go up against Putin and go up against these other presidents that are built for this,” she added. “I don’t want to be scared because my president’s scared; I want my president to feel secure and manly, and about it.”
Another voter questioned Harris’s experience, adding, “She doesn’t have the qualifications… she doesn’t understand our struggles.” Ouch. And it gets worse: one woman explained that her first impression of Harris was as a prosecutor enforcing truancy laws that disproportionately affected black families. She bluntly pointed out the contradiction in Harris presenting herself as a champion for the black community while enacting policies that seemed to do the opposite. This voter isn’t alone; a lot of Americans still remember Harris’s controversial record as a prosecutor.
The conversation didn’t stop there. Some pointed out Harris’s complicated ethnic background and identity politics—an issue that’s been a point of contention. One woman reminded Wagner that Harris initially embraced her Indian heritage when sworn in as a senator before emphasizing her black identity. For some voters, that inconsistency is a red flag.
“Absolutely! She’s sworn into the Senate, it was the first Indian American … and that’s fine, we don’t care,” one woman said.
When the conversation turned to Trump, these voters articulated why they’re backing him without a hint of hesitation. One voter, a Guatemalan immigrant, spoke about the current chaos around immigration. “They’re making us look bad as immigrants,” he explained, sharing concerns that newer arrivals are affecting his community negatively. Others echoed similar sentiments, expressing frustration with how the immigration situation has impacted their neighborhoods and made them feel sidelined by policies that seem to favor new arrivals over established immigrant communities.
“For me, it’s immigration. I myself come from an immigrant family. I’m Guatemalan,” one man said. “And for us, seeing the new immigrants come in, they’re more violent, it’s more chaos.”
“And we’ve been here for longer than them, and it’s starting to affect us more because stuff is getting stolen,” he added. “They’re making us look bad as immigrants and we’ve been here longer than them. And we’re getting more misrepresentation because of them.”
“We all know she’s not black” – Surprised MSNBC aired this one. pic.twitter.com/U7mK7lofUO
— Christy Kelly (@Kelly4Humanity) October 23, 2024
These voters had no problem saying they’re voting for Trump “unequivocally, period.” In their eyes, the choice is clear, and they’re willing to stand by it. While the mainstream media might prefer to paint a specific narrative about black voters’ loyalty to the Democratic party, interviews like this one show that voters are increasingly questioning if the Democratic candidates really represent their values, concerns, or aspirations. And that could spell big trouble for Democrats come Election Day.