Donald Trump's apparent disengagement from advice offered by pollsters and close associates has sparked speculation that he has effectively walked away from his role as leader of the Republican Party, leaving GOP lawmakers and his MAGA supporters uncertain about their path forward.
According to a Washington Post report, during a recent White House luncheon, the lead analyst from the conservative polling firm Rasmussen attempted to urge the president to follow through on his promise to "fight, fight, fight," but felt the president was not receptive to the message.
Pollster Mark Mitchell told the Post, "To the extent to which we were talking about the economic populism message, he wasn't as interested as I would have hoped."
This sentiment is widespread, with the Post reporting a "growing chorus of faithful MAGA supporters who have begun raising concerns over what they see as Trump's second-term shortcomings."
Members of the president's base have accused him of prioritizing foreign affairs over domestic concerns, neglecting to address the cost-of-living crisis he pledged to resolve, developing too close ties with billionaires and tech executives, and resisting the release of investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The Post notes a "steady drumbeat" of reports suggesting the MAGA base may abstain from the 2026 midterms, with little indication the president is troubled by this possibility.
While White House insiders dismiss the concerns as part of the typical "cyclical" nature of media coverage, they acknowledge an increasing volume of complaints may emerge before sentiment improves for the president.
Trump is losing ground with conservative influencers, with some characterizing his second term as "underwhelming.' TPUSA contributor Savanah Hernandez stated, "All we've really seen is punchy tweets, cool video edits, but really no follow-through on any of the promises."
Hernandez elaborated, "And if he listened to his base and he was connected to us, even just through social media, you would see that the average person is still struggling to buy groceries, that the housing crisis is still on the mind of everybody, that inflation is still a really big issue, and when Americans see billions of dollars going overseas to any country, it really feels like a betrayal when we're struggling here at home."
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