President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 2, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Some voters who backed Donald Trump in the 2024 election are already signaling buyer’s remorse as economic pain sets in, according to new NBC News focus groups. Former supporters described Trump’s rhetoric on inflation as “delusional” and “out of touch,” with several singling out tariffs as a hidden tax hammering everyday Americans. One voter bluntly said tariffs are nothing more than taxes passed directly to consumers, regardless of which party imposes them. The growing frustration echoes recent analysis from CNN’s David Goldman, who dismissed Trump’s sweeping economic claims as “classic hyperbole,” noting that stock markets don’t drive growth the way Trump suggests. With inflation, tariffs, and credibility concerns colliding, some of Trump’s own voters say they’re already looking elsewhere for 2026.
