Trump’s Magnetism in the Gulf: How Masculinity and Identity Fuel a Cross-Cultural Connection

After Donald Trump emerged as the president-elect of the United States, Democrats scrambled to rationalize his victory. Among a multitude of other factors, his appeal to young male voters stood out. Approximately 56 percent of men aged 18-29 voted for Trump, a noteworthy increase from 41 percent in 2020. Some experts attributed this surge to economic struggles, such as financial insecurity due to inflation, as well as perceived marginalization as a result of progressive messaging on race and gender. Whatever the reason, men flocked to Trump. This connection between male grievances and the victory of a right-wing leadership is neither new nor limited to the United States. In the Arab world, similar dynamics play out against a backdrop of profound disillusionment with the U.S. political establishment.

For young Arab men, Biden’s presidency served as a bitter reminder that American foreign policy in the region is centered around unyielding support for Israel, even at the cost of tens of thousands of lives and incalculable human suffering. Yet, in this climate of widespread disillusionment among young Arab men and the general Arab public with Washington, President-elect Trump represents a curious case. Unlike Biden, who is known for his conventional diplomacy, Trump promises to upend the political status quo. Moreover, his hyper-masculine energy appeals to many young Arab men in the region, who value displays of manhood in their own public figures. 

A Familiar Figure

The admiration some young Arab men have for macho, even authoritarian, figures is rooted in historical and cultural influences. This fascination alludes to a legacy of defiance, particularly against colonial powers, with leaders praised for their strength and independence. For example, despite his brutal and unsparing reign, stickers of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein can still be seen on the cars of many men in the Arab world. To his admirers, Saddam stood against Western intervention. Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin is another popular figure despite backing Syria’s merciless leader, Bashar Al-Assad, during the Syrian Civil war. Furthermore, Putin’s refusal to accept the dictates of the West makes his male Arab fanbase overlook his pitiful human rights record and the devastating war Russia launched against Ukraine. 

Trump’s larger-than-life persona and defiance of the U.S. political establishment adds another layer to the independent hero archetype. Amplified by a powerful social media apparatus, Trump’s carefully crafted brand leads some to downplay his indictments and controversies, or discount them altogether. For example, in 2019, the official Twitter account for Trump’s re-election campaign shared a video depicting the president’s face superimposed on the Marvel villain, Thanos, after the House introduced an article of impeachment against him for attempting to improperly have Ukraine influence the 2020 election. Such a mocking and dismissive response to serious allegations of misconduct, amplified by partisan social media users, resonates with those who are compelled by the hype around rebellious men. 

Indeed, Trump’s use of social media is arguably unmatched among world leaders. While both Trump and Harris used social media to amplify their voices and appeal to younger voters during their presidential race, Trump’s alignment with the “man-o-sphere, particularly the right-wing man-o-sphere of the internet,” as described by Professor Katherine Haenschen, an expert on the intersection of digital media and politics at Northeastern University, extends his reach globally. This space, which touts traditional conceptions of masculinity that often border on misogyny, appeals to many young men in the Arab world who follow some of those who endorsed Trump, including controversial figures like Andrew Tate and Logan Paul. Paul, for instance, is well known among Gulf youth, having held a meet-and-greet in Dubai in 2017 and participating in the WWE Crown Jewel event in Riyadh in 2022. 

Shared Values

The ideological connections that bind Paul, Tate, Trump, and Arab men are not reserved to the traditional masculinity they espouse, but the liberal positions they vehemently reject. Trump’s pledged policies against liberal values highlight widespread male concerns about the erosion of traditional gender roles—a sentiment that extends beyond the U.S. and finds significant resonance in many Arab societies, where cultural and religious traditions enforce strict gender norms.

A perfect example of this tendency is LGBTQ+ rights. Arab men’s gravitation toward anti-LGBTQ+ content is well documented, but multifaceted. These misgivings about basic human rights often intersect with anti-liberal sentiments in the West that are commonly amplified by right-wing politicians and influencers. Some of Trump’s remarks denouncing LGBTQ+ rights have garnered some positive responses from people in the region, especially men. For example, on January 28, 2023 when now president-elect Donald Trump announced his candidacy from South Carolina, his speech focused on pledged policies against members of the LGBTQ+ community. Parts of the speech like “we are going to defeat the cult of gender ideology” and “we are not going to allow men to play in women’s sports,” received notable approval in the Arab world. Many Arab users expressed their agreement with and admiration for his remarks.

Trump’s statements shed light on broader male anxieties about the weakening of traditional gender roles, which are not unique to the U.S. and resonate strongly in many parts of the Arab world where cultural and religious norms dictate gender roles. For example, when the movie Barbie was released in cinemas worldwide in 2023, countless right-wing American men and Arab men expressed similar anti-feminist sentiments. This cross-cultural overlap suggests a growing convergence between right-wing movements in the West and conservative values in the Arab world. Hence, many young men find themselves drawn to political figures like Trump, whose appeal on cultural issues apparently overshadows the controversies surrounding his regional foreign policy during his presidency. Whether Trump’s appeal will cause Arab men to turn a blind eye to today’s critical foreign policy issues—especially Israel’s military campaigns across the Levant—is not clear.  

President Joe Biden, whose legacy in the Middle East is likely to be defined by pictures of massacred Palestinian children and policies that people across the region view as a dismal failure for the Palestinian cause and neighboring countries, leaves Trump with a difficult path to tread. Multiple experts stress that Trump’s unpredictability makes it challenging to predict the president-elect’s foreign policy priorities. A mercurial figure, Trump is known for frequently shifting his stance depending on his audience, often contradicting himself in the process. For example, although Trump had promised the Arab-American community in Michigan during the election to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, his selection of staunchly pro-Israel cabinet members would suggest that he will do little to support the Palestinian cause.

Arabs of all stripes are divided over their support for Donald Trump. On social media, reactions to Trump’s election victory varied from heightened anxiety to cautious hopefulness, and even unapologetic optimism. On TikTok, a video released by @marianaa3355 on November 6th celebrating Trump’s victory was set to an Iraqi song featuring lyrics like “welcome, welcome” and “you are courageous.” The post garnered enthusiastic responses from some Arab users, who flooded the comments with hearts and cheerful emojis and congratulating texts in Arabic. Similarly, another TikTok video released by poet Thamer Al-Faore, whose profile amassed 348.7K followers, features an AI-generated image of Trump wearing a traditional red and white ghutra (the traditional Arab men headcover), accompanied by a poem praising a sheikh’s leadership—in this case, Trump. The video has garnered over 4,000 likes, with celebratory comments predominantly from men from the GCC states. Responses to videos from members of the Arab community in Michigan are more mixed. Some Arabs cheer them for backing Trump, while others sharply criticize Michigan’s Arab constituency for their endorsement.  

In many ways, Trump’s support reflects a global convergence of resistance against progressive ideologies and shifting social norms. Young men in the U.S. and the Arab world value Trump’s rejection of the political status quo. However, the president-elect’s appeal risks oversimplifying complex issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israel-Iran intensifying rivalry that demand a level-headed, pragmatic approach. As we await for Trump to assume the presidency in January, the world will closely observe whether his promises to end wars, particularly in the Middle East, will materialize or if his projection of traditional masculinity will falter in the face of the domestic and global challenges awaiting him.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Gulf International Forum.