Supporters of Donald Trump are feeling isolated and “fear hostility” from fellow residents in the wealthy suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Affluent enclaves throughout Maryland and the D.C. region are dominated by Democrats and Hillary Clinton supporters, with a full 95 to 100 percent of political donations from the region going to the Clinton campaign. Residents who plan to vote for Trump say they are afraid to put out lawn signs or vocalize their support due to resentment and judgement from neighbors, according to analysis by Capital News Service.
“I could never put a Trump sign in my yard because I fear the hostility that Hillary supporters have for him,” Molly Morris, a resident from Chevy Chase, Maryland, told CNS. “It’s raw. I thought about it, but we are on a major road and I thought somebody might do something to our house. I didn’t want to risk it. I would, if I felt safe.”
Ninety-eight percent of campaign contributions from Chevy Chase residents go to Clinton. Many residents are still afraid of voicing public support and spoke to CNS anonymously. The Potomac community breaks down roughly the same way as Chevy Chase, with 96 percent of political donations going to Clinton.
Victor Williams, a resident from Bethesda who supported Obama in the previous election but is voting for Trump this year, said his lawn signs “disappeared on Halloween night.”
“This is the time of the year when you’re out in the front yard mulching, and they no longer acknowledge you as they walk their dog by,” Williams told CNS. “I can sure understand anyone not being open with their support of Trump, just because Clinton has done such an effective job of characterizing his supporters as deplorable bigots and racists or dead-enders.”
In Bethesda, 97.4 percent of political donations went to the Clinton campaign. Other Trump voters in the region are far less vocal than Williams, fearing negative impacts on their businesses and stigmatization within their respective social circles. One man from Potomac said he has not even told his friends who he is voting for.
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