Abstract
Donald Trump’s election and subsequent presidency reveal important contradictions between the workings of the capitalist state and the capitalist class. While Trump may not have been the choice of the capitalist class, he is now in charge of the capitalist state. Within the context of this contradiction the essay explores the political category of the “white working class” and whether this class was a contributive factor in this unexpected electoral victory for Trump. It concludes by drawing attention to the unhelpful political and analytical fragmentation between exploitation (class) and oppression (gender, race, sexuality) under neoliberalism and urges a more unitary approach.
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