Based on your personal experience, who was the favorite on Wall Street during the 2016 election?

During the 2016 election, who was the favorite on Wall Street? Did most Wall Street financiers you know support Donald Trump or Clinton? I know that a majority of Wall Street donations went to Clinton this year. I've heard that Wall Street typically leans Republican, but that many Wall Street bankers backed Clinton in 2016 due to the GOP nominee being Donald Trump.

Based on your personal experience, was Clinton or Donald Trump the favorite on Wall Street during the 2016 election?

 
Best Response

That's interesting. I would've assume the Bay Area finance industry would lean Democratic at all levels. Doesn't tech finance typically lean Democratic, while other areas such as energy and healthcare lean Republican? A relative of mine is a managing partner at a BB investment bank in Chicago and I think he voted for Clinton this year (although I think he voted for Romney in 2012). I'm surprised that partners in the Bay Area were pro-Trump. I've read so many articles about how Trump is absolutely hated in Silicon Valley due to his stance on immigration and H1B-visas. I would've assumed that Managing Partners in tech finance (you said Bay Area so I'm going to assume that you work in tech finance) would've at least leaned Clinton.

I've heard that many financiers who typically support Republicans backed Clinton this year due to Trump's general instability and lack of concern for the health of the markets was a turnoff for them (aka volatility). Also, I've heard that many Wall Streeters were turned off by Trump's position on trade and immigration.

I know that Wall Street donations went overwhelmingly for Clinton last year despite the fact that they typically overwhelmingly go to Republicans. Hedge funds and VCs especially donated heavily to Clinton.

 

Most of the guys at the higher levels in finance stayed relatively quiet if they were pro-Trump, with the occasional offhand remark that would give insight into their leanings. They knew they were in the minority within their firms if all levels are considered, but at the end of the day rich old white guys have all the reason in the world to vote Trump. I'm not claiming it was a 90/10 split at that level, but it was certainly a majority.

 

I don't work on Wall Street. I'm currently a student, so I haven't had much interaction with financiers just yet. However, a relative of mine is an MD at a BB investment bank in Chicago. I think he said that he voted for Clinton last year despite being a Republican. I think he also voted for Romney in 2012. According to him, Clinton was the overall favorite at his bank, but Romney was the favorite in 2012. However, I never asked him if Trump was the favorite amongst the senior levels at his bank. I probably should've asked him that.

I personally am a former Republican-turned-independent who supported Hillary this year in the general election and Kasich in the primaries. I consider myself to be socially liberal but conservative-leaning on economic issues. I left the Republican Party primarily due to disgust over Donald Trump being the nominee.

 

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