Cultural Shift No One Is Talking About Perfectly Explains Why Democrats Are Bleeding Voters

Tattoos aren’t conservative. But they might be Republican. 

A new YouGov survey reveals tattoos are more common among Republicans than Democrats. Pollsters asked 1115 U.S. adult citizens if they’d ever had a tattoo. 19% of Democrats answered “Yes, currently.” 27% of Independents and 27% of Republicans said the same. YouGov asked Americans the same question in 2015. They returned nearly opposite results. A decade ago, 26% of Democrats and 26% of Independents said they had a tattoo, while just 16% of Republicans said the same.

Tattoos among Americans in 2015. More Democrat than Republican respondents reported having tattoos. (Screenshot / YouGov)

This shift says more about America’s parties than her voters. 

Republicans and Democrats have dramatically diverged in strategy since 2015. Democrats have imposed ever stricter standards of conduct (and thought) on their members. You must endorse the current thing – whether it be vaccine mandates or drag queen story hour – to remain in good standing with the party. Republicans, thanks to President Donald Trump’s ascendancy, have spent the past decade building a bigger tent. If you’re fed up with any excess of leftism, you’re welcome to join the party. Look no further than a recent study, which found far greater diversity of thought among Republicans than Democrats. (RELATED: ‘It’s Bullsh*t’: Liberals Seethe At Diversity Debunking Study)

Consider the psychological profile of someone inclined towards a tattoo or three. They’re likely high in openness to experience. The word “liberal” suggests openness by its very definition. But the modern left is more authoritarian in attitude than liberal. It’s not so much that people with tattoos have drifted rightwards – they’ve just been functionally exiled from the left. 

Not having tattoos is the new having tattoos — a change that happened over my lifetime https://t.co/9N5kWAduG3

— Chris Arnade 🐢🐱🚌 (@Chris_arnade) June 16, 2025

One can’t ignore the dramatic rise in the tattooed population overall. About 32% of Americans have a tattoo, according to a Pew Research poll conducted in 2023. Tattoos have diminished signal value in and of themselves. They used to be the primary purchase of sailors and inmates (and Teddy Roosevelt, in fairness). Rising popularity has transformed the tattoo from a strong indicator of in-group belonging to a fashion accessory. (RELATED: Legacy Media Cautions Women Against Accidentally Adopting MAGA Aesthetic)

Tattooed Republicans and Democrats likely differ in their choice of ink, too. Meander around a college campus, or a metropolis, and you’ll see a parade of young women with scribbles on their arms. Fine line tattoos are low-commitment, less painful, and more discreet. 

Cory Mills has a dramatic new Capitol tattoo https://t.co/jiqvfrkSKM

— POLITICO (@politico) June 13, 2025

High-profile Republicans bear bolder designs. Think of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s “Deus Vult” or Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert’s spiky abdomen … thing. Days ago, Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Wisconsin debuted a dramatic tattoo which amalgamates several popular conservative themes: Michael the Archangel, the U.S. Capitol Building, and “We the People.”

We’ll know tattoos are firmly Republican aligned when the legacy media starts issuing warnings about the ink-to-far-right pipeline.

Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatalieIrene03