Donald Trump won the election with unexpectedly strong support from America's black men. Why do they choose Trump? SvD goes to a "black barbershop" in the state of Georgia to find out why - and gets an abrupt answer.
ATLANTA Jake grabs the scissors and begins to habitually cut the man's hair in the barber's chair while explaining why he voted for Donald Trump .
- I don't want a woman running the country.
He says it as if it were a matter of course. To clarify, 36-year-old Jake claims that women are ruled by emotions and thus can make ill-considered decisions. If the decisions are made in the White House, they can endanger the security of the kingdom, according to him.
- Women don't know anything about war either, it's the men who fight. If Harris had won, other countries would have been much tougher on us. Now we get a real man at the helm.
A shift in the election results
It is the day after Donald Trump won the presidential election in which he swept home the wave champion state of Georgia . Trump and not Harris gained support among black voters and specifically black men – a shift in American politics. Democrats traditionally have strong support from America's black population.
In fact, Trump doubled his support among African-American men in the US compared to 2020, according to the NBC poll. Among black men, 21 percent voted for Trump, compared to 12 percent in 2020 and eight percent in 2016.
Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris fought for the black vote to win in Georgia where they make up 30 percent of all registered voters.
How come so many black male votes went to Trump?
At OTH Barbershop there is a lot of talk about yesterday's presidential election. Photo: Linus Sundahl-Djerf
Inside the "Off the Hook Barber Shop" in Atlanta, Georgia, black barber chairs stand in neat rows. Gleaming steel benches are filled with fluffy shaving brushes, spray cans and scissors. Loud rap music flows from the speakers, mixed with the sound of whirring hair clippers. Several men are sitting and waiting for haircuts.
The arguments for TrumpJake is almost done with the scissors and trimmer and ready to take on the next customer. When he hears that Sweden had a woman as prime minister, he stops with scissors in hand.
- Really? It couldn't have worked out well, could it?
This is believed to be one reason black men turned to Trump over Harris. They believe that a woman cannot handle the job of president as she is considered to be driven by emotions. Or that it is too early to let a woman become commander-in-chief and decide whether to launch nuclear weapons.
- We want an alpha male as leader of the country. A man who gets shot in the ear but gets up and continues to fight. It's America, says 28-year-old warehouse worker Corey Campbell, who sits and gets his hair trimmed.
Drinks important questionHe adds that Joe Biden was like a grandfather to the nation, while Donald Trump is a "real man".
How do you view Trump's statements that are classed as racist and misogynistic?
- They don't matter. Trump can say whatever he wants in America just because he is Trump.
Jake (center) voted for Trump in the presidential election. Armand (left) also supports Trump. Photo: Linus Sundahl-Djerf
A man with long dreadlocks waiting for a haircut in the leather chair next to him, 29-year-old bartender Armand, nods in agreement.
- I don't care about Trump's view on race. I don't elect a president for his morals. He can say nigger to me and I don't care, as long as he fixes the country and bans abortion, he says.
Equally important are the taxes, adds Armand, who works at a bar in Atlanta. Especially the tax on tips, he says. Trump has said he intends to eliminate the tax on tips, which is considered particularly attractive to many blacks who work in the service industry.
- Most of my income is tips, so that would play a huge role for me. I counted on that - and then Trump was a given choice for me, he says.
All the men we meet inside the barbershop talk about Trump's promises of a better economy, lower rents and food prices. It has contributed to Trump getting their vote. When asked how they can vote for a convicted criminal, the answer is in unison: "doesn't matter as long as we get better financially".
Why not vote for the Democrats as blacks have traditionally done?
- They have no contact with the people. The only time I see them is when there are elections. Then they come to my church and our neighborhood and talk about democracy and rights, says Armand.
He believes that the Democrats have not listened to the ground and understand what black voters need and want to hear.
- We don't care about large-scale talk about rights. We want jobs, lower rents, better pensions and good healthcare. The kind that Trump promised us.
Sees Harris as enemyHe adds that some black men who had troubled upbringings or were in prison see Kamala Harris as a tough prosecutor who jailed African-Americans during her earlier career in California. It is not forgotten. They see her as an enemy while Trump is seen as a protector, he says.
"Don't forget the wars," is heard from another barber's chair. There sits 44-year-old Fred Chinn. Soon all the black men are in the conversation about why Trump is the best. Fred complains that the US supported Ukraine with many billions of dollars, and continues to provide financial support to Israel.
- It must come to an end. I know schools that are collapsing here in Atlanta for lack of money. We must focus on our own country and people. Trump says that now it is "America First" that applies.
Shame on the black menFrom the back of the hairdressing salon another voice is suddenly heard. There stands the hairdresser Motunrayo, massaging oil into the hair of an elderly customer with long braids. She says she is ashamed of the black men and their election of Trump.
Unlike black men, more black women voted for Kamala Harris. Of black women in the United States, a whopping 91 percent voted for Harris, while only seven percent voted for Trump.
- I am disappointed with the election result but not surprised, she says and clarifies:
- This is a male-dominated society. Many black men believe that women do not belong in the corridors of power or the church. That's why they voted Trump. Sad but true.
Fred Chinn has just come out of the barber shop. He is happy with the election of Trump. Photo: Linus Sundahl-Djerf
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