Northville – Within an hour of Vice President Kamala Harris’ concession speech, I found myself sitting down with several Gen X Michigan dads for Italian food in downtown Northville. 

This dinner was scheduled well in advance for a completely unrelated matter, but given the monumental historical significance of the day’s events, the gathering immediately turned into a bro huddle in which men from different walks of life shared their opinions of a second Trump term. 

Everyone was elated at his victory, but the groupthink stopped there, and what was apparent based on the ensuing conversation is that Gen X male Trump voters aren’t homogenous. A big tent, so to speak. Not every Trump voter is a conservative. Not every conservative is an enthusiastic Trump voter. The political landscape isn’t as clear cut as some might believe, and it may be possible the current Democratic political establishment, which has been struggling to understand male voters in the wake of Trump’s victory, might not understand what motivates these Michigan voters.  

A doctor admitted that he found the entire race exhausting and hoped that America could get back to normal. He feared he got too wrapped up into the Trump phenomena and stated he was planning to take down the Trump flags in his basement. His teenage kids have expressed annoyance at the overt political décor in the home.

A UAW line worker at Ford’s Rouge plant explained an odd tension at his work, with most of his co-workers supporting Trump, but union leadership being aggressively Pro-Kamala, creating a bizarre quiet on the line with silent fist pumping. He felt frustrated over how detached UAW leadership has become from the workers and how the UAW has embraced the progressive left while layoffs have continued.

An engineer for a Canadian company said Trump’s victory was good for the nation but might not bring the right-wing victories he is looking for. He tapered his enthusiasm with the notion that Trump seems malleable on traditionally conservative issues such as pro-life, gun rights, and free trade. He described his vote for Trump as a lesser-of-two-evils vote. 

This elicited guffaw from another dad, a business owner. He was elated that Trump won and is hopeful he will avoid right-wing initiatives that would repulse average voters. He lamented socially conservative Republicans having a deleterious effect on the GOP and was adamant that average Americans are fundamentally liberal on social issues and libertarian on fiscal issues. He later expressed deep distrust in American involvement in Ukraine and Israel. 

Lastly, a dad with a son in the armed services called Trump’s victory a defiance of the elite political establishment, with deep contempt for average Americans. He is excited at the prospect of a new Republican party that includes RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, and said the old concept of a left/right political landscape is antiquated, as evidenced by Liz Cheney campaigning for Kamala Harris. He expressed relief that Trump is far less likely to deploy troops into a war with Russia, Iran, or China. 

I found myself nodding along, amazed at the variance within the current Trump coalition.

To fully check the temperature of the suburban dads, I reached out the next day to others I knew or suspected who had voted for Kamala Harris. I found a sharp contrast to the more alarmism found on social media. 

I went right to Brandon McCullough, the current president of the Livonia city council, who was shockingly optimistic. “The Democratic process worked. Trump won a free and fair election, and I hope he does well. Everyone can take pride the system worked.” Of course, I’m aware he’s very likely disappointed, but I couldn’t detect it in his voice. 

I spoke with a 50-year-old Northville stock broker, a reluctant Kamala voter with no love for Trump. He too was optimistic, albeit with a level of sarcasm. “I knew Trump was gonna win. There was no Democrat that was going to beat him. I hope he does good and doesn’t go scorched earth on us. He better not f*** up.”

I saved the best for last: a self-described Kamala Dad. A person I’ve known to be a Democrat his whole life. I asked his opinion on Trump’s victory and sat silent for several minutes as profanity exploded out of my phone. F-bomb after F-bomb. A glorious display of metaphors at breathtaking speed.  

I didn’t interrupt. I listened, as I tend to do, because I enjoy the fact that I live in a nation where a person can speak their mind—to protest or disagree. I listen because I enjoy the diversity of thought.

J.Z. Delorean is a writer for Michigan Enjoyer and has been a Metro Detroit-based professional investigator for 22 years. Follow him on X @Stainless31.