Voters who helped put President Donald Trump back in office are recoiling from his latest stunt, a former GOP pollster found.
Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, wrote Friday that she gathered a group of Florida voters who backed Trump in 2024 but now disapprove of his job performance. She then showed them one of the taxpayer-funded "public service announcements" running during NFL games, college football and "Dancing with the Stars."
The spot pulls from a 2024 campaign rally speech in which Trump vows to "demolish the deep state," "drive out the globalists" and "liberate America from these villains once and for all."
Longwell wrote that the reaction showed "a whole new level of revulsion." One participant cut off the moderator with "Oh my God" before the ad had even played.
"The second that ad started and he started talking I literally just got nauseous, because I couldn't wait for it to be over, 'cause he's in your face with nothing but lies," said Paul, a Trump voter. "I need some Pepto-Bismol."
A Trump voter named Dena called Trump "power hungry" and said his fixation on "control and power" was "just off-putting."
Another Trump voter named Bob said the spot would be more accurate if its "paid for by the U.S. government" label were swapped for "definition of a narcissist." Another named Brenda accused Trump of making up numbers and called it "despicable."
Ramiro, another Trump voter, said Trump "has been the most socialist president we've ever had in the history of our country," and said he is chasing the kind of power held by China's Xi Jinping.
Longwell noted that a Reuters/Ipsos poll found Americans oppose using taxpayer money for election-related TV ads featuring the president by a lopsided 86-9 margin. Trump said this week his super PAC would cover future airings but would not reimburse taxpayers for spots already broadcast.
She suggested the ads may be meant to fire up MAGA die-hards. But she wrote that they risk alienating the very voters Trump needs, noting a couple of participants planned to vote for Democrats.
"Even if the Republicans don't win for the next ten years, it's probably best to wash these people out," Ramiro said.
