Former TV anchor Katie Couric argued President Trump’s MAGA base was driven by “anti-intellectualism” and class resentment, in a recent interview.
On Sunday’s edition of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, Couric debated the liberal comedian about the polarization in society and the motivations of Trump supporters.
Couric argued that the wealth gap in America was wider than ever before and had spurred class resentment in the culture. She argued this was driving the MAGA movement.
“The socioeconomic disparities are a lot and class resentment is a lot and anti-intellectualism and elitism is what is driving many of these anti-establishment — which are Trump voters — so, I think that is a huge problem that we have to address,” Couric said.
She went on to double down on her argument that class resentment and jealousy drove voters to support Trump.
“I mean globalization and the transition from an industrial to a technological society — I don’t know if you’ve ever been jealous of someone else or resentful — it is such a corroding and bitter, almost bile feeling,” she told Maher.
“I think that when people who are really struggling see people who have everything, and are on top of that, looking down on them, it is just a recipe for such anger and resentment and grievance,” she continued.
However, Maher pushed back on Couric’s argument, suggesting that Trump voters had legitimate complaints about Democrats, bringing up the border hypocrisy of sanctuary city leaders.
Maher also said he was “bored” with the media’s negative treatment of Trump and wished they would understand the perspective of the typical Trump voter.
“Not to defend Trump, but to defend the people who still vote for him. Because what they see on the other side, to them, is even more dangerous. Because it’s closer to home,” he said, referencing gender ideology in schools and anti-Trump sentiment in the media.
“Those kind of things are what they say, ‘That’s why I’m voting for Trump,'” Maher added. “‘We don’t like him but he’s all that stands between us and madness,’ That’s their view. I would like that view presented [by the media].”
