After eight years of being attacked and maligned, treated like second-class citizens and even targeted by federal agencies, Trump supporters finally feel liberated. Donald Trump's decisive election victory has launched what some are calling the "coming out party" for Trump supporters. Residents in blue cities report seeing an increase in Trump yard signs and Trump hats since Election Day. Trump got a conquering hero's welcome from the crowd at last weekend's UFC event at Madison Square Garden, and both college and pro football players have been doing the "Trump dance" celebration after touchdowns for the past few weeks.
This sudden turnaround is notable among political observers. "You see the NFL Trump dances, you see people wearing more Trump gear, and now we're seeing people say you know what...we're back in charge," says Anthony Russo, political analyst and podcast host. "It's like sanity and common sense is back, so why don't we actually just start to show our pride in the fact that we believe in strong borders, a good economy, and being able to have freedom of speech."
Since Election Day, vocal Trump support has come from celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, who introduced Trump at a Mar-a-Lago event last week, and athletes like UFC Champion Jon Jones, who presented Trump with a belt after Saturday's fight. "And we're seeing people of all different colors and people from different backgrounds doing this," says Russo. "Which shows that this was never a race issue, it's just two different ideologies."
"All of a sudden people feel like no longer are we the silent majority, we are THE majority, and we're actually feeling pretty good about it," he continues. "And honestly, I don't think the country has felt quite like it does right now in a long time, outside of the fringe left that is still freaking out."