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Fact check: What percentage of american voters voted for trump
Executive Summary
The available materials do not provide a single, definitive percentage of American voters who voted for Donald Trump across elections; the clearest concrete figure in the packet is that Trump received about 74 million votes in 2020, roughly 47% of the popular vote [1]. Reports and post‑2020 analyses in the packet discuss 2024 turnout, coalition shifts, and approval ratings but do not state a definitive nationwide vote percentage for 2024 (p2_s1, [4], [3], [7]–s3).
1. What the packet explicitly claims about Trump’s vote totals and shares — a useful anchor
The strongest explicit claim in the assembled material is that Donald Trump received approximately 74 million votes in the 2020 presidential election, which translates to almost 47% of the national popular vote; this figure comes from an election-count context and is dated December 2023 in this packet [1]. That 47% is a direct popular‑vote share, not a share of registered or eligible voters, and the packet’s language frames it as a comparative metric for 2020 rather than a continuing trend. This concrete 2020 number provides the clearest single data point in the materials, and it anchors subsequent discussion about shifts in turnout and coalition composition in 2024 analyses [2] [3].
2. Why the packet lacks a clear 2024 vote‑share percentage — methodological and reporting gaps
Multiple entries that discuss the 2024 race emphasize turnout, demographic shifts, and coalition dynamics but stop short of reporting a single percentage of American voters who cast ballots for Trump in 2024 [2] [4] [3]. The AP VoteCast survey noted in the material sampled over 120,000 voters and described who supported Trump, yet the provided excerpt does not extract a national percentage for him [3]. This absence likely reflects either the packet’s focus on analysis over raw tabulation or that the excerpts presented did not include a simple final vote-share figure.
3. Distinguishing popular vote share, share of eligible voters, and approval ratings
The packet conflates related but distinct measures in adjacent items: popular vote share (what portion of ballots cast went to a candidate), share of eligible or registered voters who supported a candidate, and presidential approval ratings. The material includes approval polling for Trump—RealClearPolitics aggregates an approval around 45.3% in late October 2025—but approval is not the same as vote percentage and cannot substitute for actual election returns [5]. Analysts and readers must not equate a 45% approval figure with the percentage that voted for a candidate in a given election.
4. What the packet’s 2024 analyses do tell us about the electorate and context
Although the packet lacks a single 2024 vote percentage, the 2024‑focused pieces describe how Trump’s victory depended on holding his base and modestly expanding his coalition, with important variations across demographic groups; this is based on AP VoteCast and reporting dated November 7, 2024, and follow‑up analysis dated June 26, 2025 [3] [2]. Those pieces emphasize turnout dynamics and subgroup swings rather than a single national percentage, which suggests the authors prioritized explanatory narrative over headline vote totals.
5. Conflicting signals and editorial choices — what might be driving omissions
The packet’s mix of concrete 2020 totals and more interpretive 2024 coverage suggests editorial priorities: some sources supply certified numeric totals [6], while others focus on demographic narratives and polling (2024 and 2025) (p1_s1, [2]–s3, [7]–s3). The omission of a clear 2024 percentage could reflect an intent to analyze mechanisms of victory—turnout and coalition shifts—rather than to repeat headline tabulations, or simply that the excerpts provided did not include final certified numbers. Readers should note this possible agenda toward narrative explanation over raw tabulation.
6. Cross‑checking what we do and don’t know from the packet and what to ask next
From the packet we can reliably cite Trump’s ~74 million votes and ~47% popular share in 2020 [1] and descriptive findings about 2024 coalition behavior from AP VoteCast and mid‑2025 analyses [3] [2]. What we cannot extract from these items is a single confirmed national percentage of voters who voted for Trump in 2024, nor state‑by‑state certified totals, nor a direct mapping from approval ratings to vote shares (p2_s1–s3, [7]–s3). To close the gap, one should consult official certified returns or a comprehensive election‑results compilation.
7. How to interpret the packet’s evidence for public understanding and reporting
The packet’s presentation of mixed data types—past certified counts, large‑sample surveys, and approval polling—illustrates a common reporting challenge: different metrics answer different questions and are often conflated in public discourse [1] [3] [5]. The 2020 popular‑vote percentage is a clear historical fact in this material, while the 2024 items aim to explain electoral dynamics without supplying the simple headline metric. Savvy consumers should demand a clear statement of the specific measure (popular vote, turnout share, approval) whenever a percentage is cited.
8. Bottom line and concise next steps for verification
Based strictly on the packet, the best defensible claim is that Trump got about 74 million votes (≈47% of the popular vote) in 2020; the packet does not supply a definitive nationwide percentage for 2024 (p1_s1, [2]–s3). For a precise, up‑to‑date figure on what percentage of American voters voted for Trump in 2024, the necessary next step is to consult the official certified vote totals or a comprehensive post‑election tabulation, then note whether the metric reported is a share of votes cast, registered voters, or eligible voters.