Tuesday’s election of Donald Trump as president broke a number of long-held political tenets, most notably going sharply against the prediction of every major poll.
Media outlets turned to experts from UT to better understand that issue, the emotions of minority voters in the wake of the outcome, and the major factors in Trump’s win.
The Knoxville News Sentinel alone had two articles featuring two expertise. In one, political science professor Michael Fitzgerald discussed the political landscape of middle America and the important role it played in Trump’s election.
In discussing the very personal impact the election had on segments of the population that felt targeted by the Trump campaign, assistant professor of psychology Grzanka pointed out that simply telling people “everything will be OK” can feel patronizing, and that people need to come together to better understand concerns of their fellow Americans.
Local CBS affiliate WVLT spoke with political science professor Richard Pacelle about why the polls were so wrong, as well as whether or not President Trump will follow through with his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico.