Institute of Politics

IOP Pritzker Fellow Harrison Fields on "The MAGA Realignment: Why the GOP Is Winning the Working Class & Beyond" THIS SEMINAR IS OPEN TO CURRENT UCHICAGO STUDENTS ONLY Wednesday, February 4 12:30-1:45pm Let's start with the basics: What is the new Republican coalition? It's not your traditional country club Republicans anymore. Think of it as a populist powerhouse blending blue-collar workers, small business owners, minorities disillusioned with the Democrats and even some former liberals fed up with woke culture. The Shift from Elites to Everyday Americans: Back in the day, the GOP was all about tax cuts for the rich and free trade deals that shipped jobs overseas. Enter Donald Trump in 2016 - he flipped the script. Suddenly, it's "America First": Tariffs to protect jobs, border security for working families and calling out the swamp. Result? We saw massive gains among non-college-educated voters. In 2024, Trump won over 50% of the Hispanic vote in key states - that's not a fluke; it's a realignment. As Senior Advisor and Communications Director to Congressman Byron Donalds, Communications Aide to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and finally the White House, I've engineered messages that pierce hostile coverage, rally unlikely allies and force accountability from outlets determined to spin the story. Forget the media narrative that Republicans are "anti-diversity." This coalition is diverse as hell. Find out why African American men under 40 greatly increased their support of Republicans since 2020 and more. The new Republican coalition is held together by three core pillars: economic populism, cultural resistance and the unique role of Donald Trump as its catalyst and communicator. These elements have transformed the GOP from an establishment-oriented party into a broad-based movement. Out: Traditional Republican emphasis on broad corporate tax cuts and deregulation. In: Federal income taxes on tips for service workers, exempting overtime pay from federal income taxes, providing additional tax deductions for seniors to ease the burden on Social Security benefits, initiatives to improve housing affordability by addressing rising costs and calls for capping credit card interest rates - all designed to bring cost-of-living relief. Our coalition opposes what many perceive as excessive identity politics, corporate censorship and progressive cultural mandates and communications that prioritize authenticity and directness over the polished, scripted language of the previous GOP. Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Ella Kumano-Maloney (ikmaloney@uchicago.edu).