I agree with and find compelling the big picture you're painting here about how the decline of social trust benefitted Trump. But there's also a part of me that feels that if Biden had passed a major border bill in 2021 or 2022, when he had full control of Congress, he could have potentially saved Democrats. Or at least, Trump might have won less convincingly.
Thank you for your analysis—always eminently informative.
I agree with and find compelling the big picture you're painting here about how the decline of social trust benefitted Trump. But there's also a part of me that feels that if Biden had passed a major border bill in 2021 or 2022, when he had full control of Congress, he could have potentially saved Democrats. Or at least, Trump might have won less convincingly.
Thank you for writing this and sharing your essential research. These trends are so, so helpful in understanding our current moment.