Voters are Souring on Trump's Strongman Schtick

Polls make it clear that the public is not on board with an authoritarian takeover of our democracy

The first 94 days of Donald Trump’s presidency have been a non-stop assault on democracy. Trump, Elon Musk, and the rest are fighting to grab as much power as they can without allowing laws, norms, or the Constitution to get in the way. This display of brute strength has put most of our institutions back on their heels. Business, academia, the legal profession and even some Democratsmhave all been cowed by Trump, cutting deals to avoid being targeted.

The conventional wisdom is that Trump is running a successful strategy. He imposed his will on the federal government and American society writ large in unprecedented ways. Trump has done tremendous damage that will take years to undo.

Despite this existential threat to American values, freedoms, and rights, too many of Trump’s opponents refuse to focus on his abuse of power. The argument is that in the 2024 election and now, voters are much more concerned about the economy than democracy.

I don’t dispute the reams of polls showing that voters care most about the economy. However, polling also demonstrates that Trump’s strongman act is wearing thin with voters. There is broad public opposition to Trump’s most authoritarian moves.

Frankly, Democrats shouldn’t need polls to stand up to Trump’s authoritarianism, but just in case… here’s what the data says.

1. Voters Worry That Trump Thinks He Is ‘Above the Law.’

Trump is ignoring the guardrails that traditionally keep a president in check. This is not a Left Wing fever dream. It’s a widely held viewpoint. In a recent Navigator Research poll, 63% of voters say that Trump thinks he is above the law.

Notably, nearly two-thirds of Independents believe Trump thinks he is above the law, as do 29% of Republicans. Interesting.