Handedness and race interact to shape support for Donald Trump: Evidence from three U.S. presidential election cycles

We examined neuro- and social-cognitive determinants of Trump support in a cross-sectional survey study encompassing the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections. Using handedness as a window into neurofunction, we found that highly consistent use of one hand, versus relatively inconsistent handedness, was associated with multiple measures of Trump support. The direction of the association (positive or negative) depended on the social factor of race. We obtained multiple handedness X race interactions whereby consistently handed White individuals supported Trump more, but consistently handed non-White individuals supported him less. Regardless of race, consistent handedness was associated with greater authoritarian submission. These findings suggest a neurosociocognitive model of Trump support. Asymmetries of neurofunction, which co-occur with consistent handedness, predispose individuals to authoritarianism, and authoritarianism either increases or decreases Trump support depending on social (racial) identity. Neurobiology, cognition, and social factors may likewise influence Americans' response to authoritarian messaging in the post-Trump political environment.