MAGA States Thriving

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MAGA States Thriving

At Hot Air, Ed Morrissey highlighted a growing divide in the U.S., driven by migration patterns since the pandemic. Red states with lighter lockdown ruless and lower taxes, like Florida and Texas, have seen significant population gains. Blue states like California and New York face capital flight. (You can count me as one of those migrants!)

The Wall Street Journal noted that census data from 2020-2021 shows a net gain of 822,064 people in states, noting, “It’s impossible to quantify precisely the cause-and-effect impact of school closures and lockdowns on population migration. But the correlation is clear from the data.”

Morrissey wrote:

This has turned into full-blown capital flight, as middle-class families with investment potential looked for and found greener pastures. Tax bases have shrunk in states like California and New York while growing in lower-tax states with more conservative policies and governance. If these current trends continue, the states that gave Donald Trump the victory in 2024 will have several more Electoral College votes in 2032, not to mention greater influence in the House of Representatives.

Economically, MAGA-favored companies (e.g., John Deere, Harley-Davidson) have outperformed progressive ones (e.g., Etsy, Lyft) over the past decade. This trend strengthens red states’ electoral and economic influence, potentially reshaping America's future. Morrissey concluded, “It's still good to see the data confirm it, and that poses the real question. Will blue states learn the lessons from it ... or condemn their economies to permanent second-tier status?”