Are Trump's Voters Starting to Sour on Him?
Two new polls suggest a critical slice of the electorate regret their vote
Donald Trump has not even been president for four months yet. In that time, his catastrophic missteps included but are not limited to:
Tanking the economy with an insanely stupid tariff policy;
Illegally deporting people without due process;
Threatening to annex and/or invade Canada, Greenland, and Panama;
Re-orienting American foreign policy to support authoritarian governments over democracies;
Lining his pockets with corrupt schemes involving cryptocurrencies, golf courses, and free luxury airliners; and
Weaponizing law enforcement to prosecute his enemies and protect his political cronies.
I could go on and on. This is a historic level of damage in a very short period of time; and it’s hurting him politically — his approval rating plummeted since he took the oath of office in January. But is he losing his voters? Back in a 2016 rally, Trump infamously said:
I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK? It's, like, incredible.
While this sentiment is grotesque and hyperbolic, it has largely been true over the last decade. Trump increased his vote share in the last three elections despite being a failed president, a convicted criminal, and the ringleader of a violent effort to overturn the election. It’s easy to become disillusioned by the loyalty of Trump’s base. Online, it feels like every Trump voter is doubling down despite suffering real-world consequences from Trump’s actions. However, new polling suggests that a significant slice of 2024 Trump supporters regret their vote.
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