Materially, it makes little sense for blue-collar workers to vote for Modi, Orban, or Trump, a billionaire whose platform is to cut taxes for the rich. Hitler and Mussolini had their share of support from the poor too.
What are some of the theories of why this happens?
I know scapegoating foreigners for poverty is part of it. Wilhelm Reich wrote The Mass Psychology of Fascism but I haven't read it.
I'd also add that there's a contingent of people who don't necessarily do it to hurt people they don't like, but things have always been shit and the political parties they have to choose between have never made it better, so they'd rather feeling like they're part of a winning team.
When life kicks the shit out of you either way, why spend your time being invested in the often losing side instead of the getting to celebrate with the winning ones?
Obviously I think that's bullshit reasoning even if I do understand some aspect of the sentiment, but it's one I come across a fair bit.