Sociologist Arlie Hochschild Says Both Parties Are in Denial about American Despair

NEW YORK — In a recent conversation on The Opinions, a New York Times podcast hosted by editorial board director David Leonhardt, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild warned that the deep sense of loss and dislocation in working-class America is being ignored by both major political parties—an oversight she argues has fueled the persistent loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

Hochschild, professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, is widely known for her extensive fieldwork in conservative strongholds, particularly in Appalachia and Louisiana. Her influential concept of the “great paradox” describes how people most dependent on government programs often develop the most intense anti-government sentiment. Speaking to Leonhardt, she said that dynamic has only deepened under Trump’s leadership—and both parties have failed to confront its emotional roots.

“There are lots of kinds of denial,” Hochschild said. “This isn’t happening yet, or [we’re] thinking it’s not so bad and it will end. The left is very inward turning. It’s talking to itself. It’s more bubble-ized and in that way too, it’s not facing the music.”

Hochschild recently returned from reporting in Eastern Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, one of the nation’s poorest and whitest districts. She described the economic and psychological toll of coal’s collapse, as well as the emotional costs of downward mobility and cultural erosion. In Pikeville and surrounding towns, she said, the evidence of economic abandonment is everywhere—from shuttered mines and closed schools to obituaries of young men lost to opioids or suicide.

“There’s a gone-ness to it,” she said. “People talk about what used to be. Coal was a source of pride. Now it’s medical centers, service jobs that don’t pay enough, and a deep sense of shame and loss.”

This emotional backdrop, she argued, is key to understanding Trump’s enduring appeal in the region. Though his policies have often failed to materially improve life for his supporters, Hochschild said Trump has offered a powerful story—one that channels shame into anger and grievance through what she described as a “four-moment anti-shaming ritual.”

She explained the cycle as follows: First, Trump says something transgressive. Second, he is condemned by media and elites. Third, he frames himself as the victim of those elites and, by extension, suggests that his followers are also being attacked. And fourth, he offers them retribution.

“He becomes the Christ-like figure who takes on their shame, only to then return as the avenger,” Hochschild said. “And the followers go on that emotional journey with him. That’s what gives it power.”

Leonhardt questioned why Trump’s continued failures—economic stagnation, chaos in governance, and cuts to the very programs his supporters rely on—haven’t led to disillusionment.

Hochschild responded that emotional loyalty is not governed by rational cost-benefit analysis. She said many working-class Americans feel abandoned by both parties and have lost faith in traditional politics. That vacuum of trust, she said, is what allows a charismatic leader to command such fervent allegiance.

“We need to learn to be bilingual,” she said. “One language is rationality. The other is emotion.”

Hochschild was also critical of the Democratic Party for what she sees as its own form of denial—namely, the belief that demographic and policy advantages will automatically win over disaffected voters, without addressing their emotional realities.

She pointed to the party’s reluctance to confront concerns about President Joe Biden’s age during the 2024 election cycle as an example of Democratic self-deception.

“There are false stories on both sides,” Hochschild said. “The ones on the right may be easier to mock, but the ones on the left are more serious and seriously wrong.”

She warned that Democratic messaging, often rooted in elite liberal social values, is out of touch with working-class voters, including many voters of color who have shifted toward the Republican Party in recent years.

“There’s a crisis of masculinity, a feeling of being downwardly mobile,” she said. “And I think that’s affecting Black and Latino men, too. They’re identifying with strength.”

Hochschild emphasized that the emotional resonance of Trump’s narrative—combined with real grievances about globalization, job loss, and cultural marginalization—creates a potent political force that cannot be ignored. She cautioned against the assumption that Trumpism will disappear on its own.

“Democrats are telling themselves, ‘It’ll go away. We’ll get our turn again,’” she said. “But increasingly, I think that’s not the case.”

Still, Hochschild believes there is opportunity for what she called “crossover”—areas where working-class concerns and Democratic policy goals can align. She cited renewable energy as one example, noting that a pro-Trump entrepreneur in Pikeville expressed strong support for solar energy and battery manufacturing, even though he gave no credit to Biden’s investment initiatives.

“The emotional bridge is there,” Hochschild said. “But the Democratic Party has to walk across it.”

She praised politicians like Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), who continue to win in Trump-friendly districts by appealing to economic dignity and taking a tougher line on immigration.

“Democrats talk about growing jobs, not just expanding benefits,” she said. “That’s what people want to hear.”

When asked about the future of American politics, Hochschild rejected the notion that Trumpism marks an inevitable slide toward autocracy. She emphasized that the outcome will depend on the choices people make now—whether they mobilize, empathize, and build coalitions that can offer a competing vision.

“There is no iron law of history here,” she said. “It depends on what people of conscience do. If we continue to shun the working class, especially white working-class voters, then yes—we could go further into autocracy. But if we say instead, ‘Nobody stole your pride; we’re restoring it together,’ then we have a chance to change the story.”

Leonhardt agreed, noting that Hochschild’s advice for politics—treat people with empathy, listen to their stories—doubles as advice for leading a more compassionate life.

“Maybe that’s how we get out of this,” he said.

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