Monitoring public sentiment as the presidential campaign wrapped up has been quite the journey. We’ve been using daily data from Civiqs to gauge voter emotions—ranging from hope to anger and everything in between—emotions that painted a vivid picture of the national psyche during the November election.
So, now with Donald Trump preparing for his second term, how are people feeling? Are things looking brighter, more somber, or somewhere in between? While there are some stark differences in opinion along party lines, the general mood of the electorate appears lighter compared to the intensity of the election season. Trump’s win seems to have sparked a rise in those feeling “excited” and “hopeful,” while the number reporting anger dropped noticeably.
This shift could be attributed to various factors, with economic concerns playing a major role in 2024’s election discourse. Many voters seem encouraged by Trump’s promise to “Make America wealthy again,” a sentiment fueled by frustrations over inflation and perceptions of neglect during Biden’s tenure. Trump’s assurances of drastic cost reductions, wage improvements, and a prosperous new era have resonated with many. However, his strategy, which includes mass deportations and high tariffs, strikes some as overly optimistic—especially since Trump has already started to backtrack on his cost-cutting promises. But let’s not dampen the mood just yet.
While it’s uncertain if Trump’s policies will achieve greatness for the nation, they have seemingly diffused some of the prevailing anger, at least temporarily. Analyzing the data reveals distinct mood variations among different demographics, though perhaps not as pronounced as expected.
Men without college degrees, who were notably pessimistic pre-election, are feeling notably more upbeat. Excitement levels have increased, and anger has lessened. Why? Trump’s campaign specifically targeted men, making appearances on male-focused podcasts, attending UFC events, and exuding a certain “bro” energy. This approach, encapsulated by Hulk Hogan’s shirt-ripping moment at the GOP convention, certainly resonated with those who feel alienated by cultural shifts or are battling economic struggles.
You might assume that college-educated women’s spirits would plummet post-election. Surprisingly, their outlook hasn’t shifted significantly. While their reported fear has nudged up slightly, remaining low, their levels of hope have held steady. Interestingly, the percentage reporting anger dropped by six points, suggesting a lessened impetus for massive protest movements like those in the past.
Looking at racial groups, it’s no shock that hope among white voters—a key Trump demographic—soared by 10 points post-election, with anger diminishing dramatically.
For African American and Black voters, hopes didn’t rise, but they didn’t plummet either. There was a 10-point decline in hopefulness, bringing numbers almost back to Biden-era levels. Although reports of fear and depression increased slightly, excitement levels exceeded those during Biden’s candidacy and were higher than when Harris was in the race.
Hispanic and Latino voters displayed some intriguing trends, such as a slight decrease in anger post-election, which may seem unexpected given Trump’s rhetoric about Central and South America. Delving deeper, Hispanic men reported feeling somewhat more hopeful, with a slight dip in fear, while Hispanic women went the opposite direction.
Age differences presented only minor variations in mood post-election. The youngest voters maintained steadiness in their levels of depression, but those aged 65 and older experienced a slight uptick. However, both age groups reported a modest increase in hopefulness and a significant decrease in anger, though the older group still held more anger than the youngest voters. As Trump moves forward, he’ll need to manage concerns among older adults as well as keep an eye on youth sentiment.
Overall, it’s clear Americans were hungry for change—be it promising, daunting, or daring. They needed someone to recognize the inadequacies of the current system. And if Trump stands for anything, it’s disruption. Now comes the real challenge: delivering on the grand promises made during the campaign.
