Electoral maps from 1896 and 2024 show nearly identical geographic distributions of populist support, with William Jennings Bryan winning the South, Texas, Appalachia, and the West in 1896, and Donald Trump winning essentially the same regions in 2016 and 2024, despite switching political parties, demonstrating that populist cultures in those places remained stable for over 100 years.
factualpending
Speaker
David BrooksEvidence Quote
“If you look at the electoral map of 1896 and the electoral map of 2024, it's pretty much the same map. The populist, William Jennings Bryan in 1896, won the South, Texas, Appalachia, the West. The American populist of 2016 and 2024, Donald Trump, won these mostly these exact same states.”
Source
How America Recovers from All This | Yale Conversations with David Brooks | Yale University— Yale Jackson School of Global AffairsCreated: 8/12/2026, 6:23:19 PM
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