Fox News Digital Focus Group Reveals Divergent Reactions to Trump’s Stance on Wokeness and Gender
A recent Fox News Digital focus group, composed of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, provided compelling insights into how different segments of the electorate responded to President Donald Trump’s pronouncements against "wokeness" and his assertion of only two genders during his address to a joint session of Congress. The exercise, conducted using dial tests administered by maslansky + partners’ Lee Carter, offered a real-time gauge of voter sentiment toward these two prominent moments in the speech.
The results highlighted a stark partisan divide, with Republican and independent voters largely embracing Trump’s rhetoric, while Democrats exhibited more negative or neutral reactions. The two tests focused on two key themes: the administration’s stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, and the declaration that the government recognizes only two genders.
The initial test centered around Trump’s statement regarding the elimination of what he termed "the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies" across the federal government, the private sector, and the military. He continued by stating his belief that hiring and promotion decisions should be based on skill and competence, rather than race or gender.
As Trump spoke these words, the red line representing Republican voters surged upward and remained well above the neutral position, indicating strong approval. The yellow line representing independent voters followed suit, albeit at a slower pace initially. However, it eventually climbed to a highly positive point, aligning with the Republican sentiment. This suggests that a significant portion of independent voters resonated with Trump’s message regarding merit-based systems and the rejection of DEI policies.
In stark contrast, the blue line representing Democratic voters remained largely neutral throughout Trump’s remarks on wokeness. It even dipped slightly below the neutral mark, suggesting a mild disapproval of his stance. This suggests that Democrats generally view DEI policies more favorably and are less receptive to the idea of eliminating them.
Lee Carter, in her analysis of this test, emphasized the enthusiasm among Republicans and independents. She noted that many respondents echoed Trump’s emphasis on common sense, suggesting a perception that DEI policies have led to outcomes that contradict common sense principles.
The second test focused on Trump’s declaration that he had signed an order making it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female. This statement triggered a similar pattern of partisan reactions.
The red line representing Republican voters climbed rapidly to a high point and remained there, indicating strong agreement with Trump’s stance on gender. Independent voters also reacted positively, with the yellow line initially climbing slowly but eventually surging to a point nearly matching the Republican level.
In contrast, the blue line representing Democratic voters initially remained neutral before dipping slightly into the negative zone in response to the president’s words. This suggests that Democrats are more likely to embrace a broader understanding of gender identity and are less receptive to a rigid binary definition.
Carter noted that while Republicans and independents celebrated, Democratic participants expressed disapproval, with comments suggesting that Trump’s policy would take the country backward.
In her overall assessment of the dial tests, Carter observed that Democratic voters exhibited a comparatively muted response, suggesting a reluctance to engage with Trump’s message. She noted that independents behaved more like Republicans than Democrats, highlighting a potential shift in the independent vote toward the Republican perspective on these particular issues.
The findings of this Fox News Digital focus group underscore the deep divisions that exist within the American electorate regarding issues of wokeness, DEI policies, and gender identity. The strong reactions from Republican and independent voters to Trump’s pronouncements suggest that these issues resonate with a significant portion of the population.
The neutral or negative reactions from Democratic voters highlight the differing perspectives on these issues within the Democratic Party. These findings suggest that these issues will continue to be a source of contention in American politics. The way these issues are framed and addressed could play a significant role in shaping the political landscape.
