Hi Kerry - I agree with you to a point. Trump is not "generally" likable. In fact he's strongly despised by many. A love or hate situation. Few have a moderate view of the man.

Instead of likability, many make the moral compromise in finding the utility of Donald Trump. They know he can get them certain things - lower taxes, conservative agenda items, oil drilling, less regulations, etc.

So while I agree that likability is important in national races, I'm not sure that explains why Trump won - most people simply think he'll make their families better off than they have been under Biden/Harris.