, Columnist
Donald Trump, Class Warrior
Don't understand Trump's appeal? Ask a West Virginian.
He won't stand for disrespect.
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty ImagesCharles Murray's recent article for the Wall Street Journal on "Trump's America" offers an interesting explanation of an initially inexplicable phenomenon. I think Murray's right to see support for Trump as an act of protest that's both understandable and even, on its own terms, rational.
The piece discusses economic pressures and cultural strains across the United States. The economic factor is familiar, but the salience of class and culture, which Murray emphasizes, is too little appreciated.