On Thursday, a new poll revealed trouble for President Donald Trump and the GOP as a large segment of 2024 Trump backers now say they regret their vote. What’s more, a sizeable portion of these “Trump regretters” are “less likely” to vote Republican in the future, fracturing the coalition the party is counting on with the midterms just around the corner.
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According to Navigator Research, “One-in-five Americans who voted for President Trump in 2024 now regret their choice.” These Trump regretters fall into a few different camps. The majority are those who voted for Trump thinking he’d be better for the economy than Democrats. Younger voters are fleeing the president, with 30 percent of Trump voters between the ages of 18-34 expressing regret, which is nearly triple that of Trump voters over 55 and well above Trump voters ages 35-54. About a third of Black and Latino Trump voters are regretful, which is double the rate of white Trump supporters. A quarter of independents and non-MAGA Republicans who voted Trump fall in the regret camp, including 37 percent of independent men, as do 22 percent of Trump-voting moms.
What’s more, Trump regretters are more likely to have a negative view of the economy versus Americans overall. As Navigator explains, “Americans across the board are souring on the economy and current administration, but this sentiment is especially shared by those who now feel remorse for their 2024 vote. Four-in-five (81 percent) Trump regretters rate the economy negatively, eight points higher than Americans overall (73 percent). Additionally, Trump regretters are feeling more down about their personal financial situations, with nearly seven-in-10 (69 percent) feeling uneasy, six points higher than Americans overall (63 percent).”
“All our prices have gone sky-high for necessities,” said a white woman from Arizona who voted Trump. “Our utilities have raised, our mortgage, the interest rates, the food in the grocery store. Everything has gone up except my wages, and it’s making it harder and harder to make ends meet.”
Generally speaking, notes Navigator, “Trump regretters are deeply dissatisfied with President Trump’s second term so far. Three quarters (74 percent) of Trump regretters disapprove of President Trump’s job performance, compared to 60 percent of Americans overall. Nearly four-in-five (77 percent) also disapprove of his handling of the economy, compared to 63 percent of Americans overall.” Regretters are also deeply negative on a number of specific economic issues. According to Navigator, “83 percent disapprove of President Trump’s handling of gas prices, eight points higher than Americans overall. 77 percent disapprove of President Trump’s handling of healthcare, 15 points higher than Americans overall. 74 percent disapprove of President Trump’s handling of foreign policy, 14 points higher than Americans overall. 83 percent disapprove of President Trump’s handling of grocery prices, nine points higher than Americans overall.”
As Navigator explains, “Like Americans more broadly, Trump regretters want the president and Congress to focus on inflation and the cost of living, jobs and the economy, and healthcare. Instead, they see President Trump and Republicans in Congress prioritizing foreign conflicts and immigration, rather than helping Americans make ends meet.”
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“The main [disappointment] to me would be the focus and the promise on getting rid of inflation,” said one Georgia Turmp Regretter. “That’s very disappointing because we’re all still struggling.” As another from Nevada said, “[Trump] stated you’ll see prices go down in the grocery store because inflation’s under control … No. If anything, things have become more expensive.”
There are several key reasons regretters say they’re disappointed in Trump. 30 percent say it’s because of his broken promises, 27 percent don’t like the war, 25 percent noted cost of living, and others said that he is a bad person who “only cares about himself,” and that he “has made things worse generally.” According to Navigator, “Nearly half (45 percent) cite the war with Iran as a main reason for regret, as well as prices and the cost of living (43 percent), healthcare cuts (38 percent), and focusing on the wrong priorities like the White House ballroom (36 percent).”
“I feel really duped,” said one Trump voter from North Carolina. “I voted for him because I was expecting him not to go to war. And then he’s going to war everywhere and in America.”
All of this is bad news for Republicans who are already panicking about their chances in the midterms. According to Navigator, “Nearly one-in-10 (8 percent) Trump voters say they no longer support President Trump and would change their vote if they could. This includes 26 percent of Democratic or Independent Trump voters and 12 percent of non-MAGA Republican Trump voters who would now change their vote.”
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