A dozen voters who backed President Donald Trump in 2024 expressed disillusionment with his second term as part of a focus group convened by the New York Times.
The 79-year-old president still enjoys 80 percent approval among Republicans, but his standing with independents has cratered, and many of his own voters – like those who spoke to the Times – say they regret their choice.
"So much has happened," said Kitty, a 36-year-old student and political independent from Pennsylvania. "We’re starting to see, we’re getting disillusioned, and all these false promises are starting to be like, we know it for what it is now. Now that we know and we don’t feel as naïve or trusting, then we can properly create a path forward to going in better direction."
Chris, a 42-year-old Republican electrician from Illinois, told moderator Margie Omero he was surprised by Trump's presidency.
"Life is becoming more and more unaffordable," he said. "The prices of things like gasoline and food overall haven’t come down. I thought it all would just be a lot more affordable."
Daniel, a 41-year-old California independent who works in manufacturing, told the Times he felt annoyed by the president.
"Well, living in California, our governor, it’s just all false promises," he said. "All these additional taxes that are coming out. Money’s not being well spent. Just no accountability whatsoever. And with the current administration, it’s something new every week. DOGE, Venezuela, immigration, Iran. This week, the president’s feuding with the pope. I’m very disappointed, and I served in the military. There’s a reason why I voted for Trump. Usually Republicans are pro-military. But this whole conflict with Iran is just uncalled for."
Nancy, a 55-year-old Arizona independent who works in operations, said Trump's second presidency has not played out like she expected.
"Frankly, I just wasn’t a fan of Kamala," she said. "It was the lesser of two evils. I could have written in somebody, but I felt like I had a better chance of a little hope with Trump. I was hoping that Congress and other branches would keep him in check, and that he’d have better advisers, and that maybe the second go-around, he’d learn some lessons. But it seems like it’s just total chaos."
Jose, a 62-year-old employment specialist and independent from Florida, expressed a similar sentiment about Trump's second term.
"I thought he’d learned his lesson, and was going to prove to everybody he learned from his mistakes, and he was going to turn the country around and he was going to be a stellar president," Jose said. "But it’s turned out to be a horror movie. I was so wrong with the vote for him."
"There’s not one promise that he made that he’s followed through on. He said we’re not going to be in any wars," Jose added. "We have had wars. We’re discriminating against anybody that looks different than us or believes in whatever religion or sexual preference. That’s not what we’re about. I don’t watch the news anymore because I get depressed."
Michelle, a 45-year-old Maryland Republican who works in construction administration, said the naysayers were right about Trump.
"I feel foolish. In a family full of Democrats, I really stood my ground twice to defend my stance," she said. "I feel like time and time again, all of the things that they pointed out would happen have ended up happening, and I looked dumb as hell believing in fairy tales and wishy-washy promises. I feel like if Trump would have approached the country and the problems that the nation has been having as passionately as he had his personal vendettas against Biden and those before and after him, he would have been an amazing president. I really did believe at one point that he was also a frustrated American who was so fed up he was going to make a world of difference."
Michelle specifically cited Vice President JD Vance chastising Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office as a breaking point for her, and so did Pamela, a 65-year-old Tennessee Republican and small business owner.
"I had the exact same moment as Michelle," Pamela said. "I was horrified sitting there watching that interaction. I felt so bad for Zelensky. What was going through my head is that I was imagining Trump, out where all the soldiers are, going in and seeing how they are. Zelensky, you always see him with the soldiers. He’s right there. He is so hands-on. It’s just horrible."
