They wanted, specifically, mining jobs. They didn't want to be reskilled. They didn't want change. They wanted protectionism and fossil fuels and for the world to never have moved on from the 1970s or whatever golden age they imagine the commies in Washington stole from them. They also didn't want the kinds of environmental and health regulations that might have reduced black lung and other problems.

This is precisely the effect of what they wanted - what they already had, but worse.

Come on - coal mining - nonunion rules for health/safety = black lung.