Inside the Minds of Trump Voters

From regret to enthusiasm, here’s what Trump voters think of his second term

Chances are good you have opinions – strong ones – about President Donald Trump’s job performance. Rarely has a political figure been more polarizing. Recent Reuters and Gallup polling data shows that his job approval rating since taking office has been holding steady at around 45% – slightly better than he was doing at the same time in his first presidency.

But polls just give us a portion of the interesting data – what we don’t get in a job approval rating is insight into the minds of people who voted for him. So I asked Trump voters to weigh in, and we got a lot of responses. Thousands, in fact. This is an informal survey, not a formal poll, but it’s an interesting snapshot nonetheless.

The majority of Trump voters who responded told us they approve of the job he’s doing – about 53% of respondents said so.

A little over 12% told us they don’t approve, and 33% fell somewhere in the middle. The rest of our respondents said they were unsure or it was too soon to tell.

For those who approved of the job Trump is doing, many people said similar things to “he’s following through on his promises.”Over and over again, we got comments like this:

He’s doing everything he said he would while he was running for president. We knew Elon would be a part of his presidency, and I think they’re on fire and I love every second of it!

I think he is doing exactly what he said he would do. To me that’s refreshing. Most of the time politicians never do what they say.

I love what he’s doing. He’s digging in deep and finding the big problems and fixing them. He’s “stopping the bleeding” and putting America first.

But even some of the people who approve of the job Trump is doing admitted they don’t always like his style, even if they agree with his actions.

Not crazy about him running his mouth all the time. But he is very calculated by doing what he ran his campaign on.

His communication style is off putting at times, but I mostly feel like he is doing what he said he would do.

I think he has an outlandish way of doing things or handling things and I don’t necessarily approve of his “bedside manner”, but I think his policies are what we need to get back on track.

Of those voters who said they don’t approve of the job he’s doing, many told us they regret their vote.

He said he didn’t know what Project 2025 was yet he is following it to the letter. I deeply regret giving him my vote. I fear he is setting himself up to be a dictator.

Every time I hear or see something he has changed, it makes me sick to my stomach. I personally feel as though I am part of the reason some people feel that their lives are in danger.

I had no faith left in the Democratic Party sadly so felt justified in my vote for Trump. Now I deeply regret it and am appalled by all the things he is doing and being allowed to do.

We reached out to some of our survey respondents with follow up questions to get even more details, aiming for a cross section of people who like what he’s up to, and those who don’t. In some cases, people employed by (or had family employed by) the federal government feared reprisal if their details were made public, so we’re not using last names.

Economy

While Trump’s overall approval rating is around 45%, people are less enthusiastic about his job performance when it comes to the economy – only 38% of Americans say they like what they see.

In our survey, dozens of Trump voters who disapprove of the job he is doing specifically named the economy as one of the reasons for their dissatisfaction.

The tariffs he imposed, which were meant to protect American industries, ended up backfiring—hurting businesses and consumers alike with higher costs.

He’s killing the economy and could not care less.

I thought I was voting for the economy, not to irreparably damage it.

But many are still holding out hope:

I’m a bit cautious about tariffs. While concerned, I'm curious to see how this will play out. And ultimately I trust this administration with the economy far more than the previous administration.

I am hopeful his changes will produce a thriving economy and am willing to give it time.

The economy will get better, he puts American people first.

Kristine is from Texas, and her husband is a federal employee. With three children, two in college, and only one income to live on, “money is flowing out the door,” she said.

“I think more than anything, I’m worried I find myself worrying about the tariffs that he has enacted, and currently watching the stock market and how it’s fluctuating so rapidly from day to day. We are nearing retirement, and the last thing you want to watch is your [retirement] savings go down.”

Kristine said it’s especially hard when you’re worried your spouse will lose his job, and will potentially have to look for a job during a down economy. She’s concerned about him being unable to find something else that will pay as much as he’s making now.

Beth from Kentucky had a different perspective. She has five adult children, and she’s also nearing retirement. During Trump’s first term she saw a noticeable spike in her retirement savings, which she said was a nice thing. That’s not happening this time around, but she’s willing to allow some time for the “dust to settle.”

Beth likened it to anyone having to make tough choices when you have to cut back. She said, “You’re going to have some ‘come-to-Jesus’ moments. Nobody wants to have their favorite thing in the budget cut, but I’m willing to hang in there. I think there’s a lot of waste and bloat in the government and at some point we've got to rip the bandaid off and look at that.”

Taylor from Nevada is in her 30s with two children. She’s a former teacher turned homeschool mom. She said, “I love seeing the push for more American manufacturing. That will come with growing pains (like tariffs) but I am thrilled at the prospect of being able to spend our money on products made in America. It took time to get us here economically, it will take time to improve things like food and gas prices.”

Brittany from New Jersey has two small children and her husband also works for the federal government. She wants to give Trump more time on the economy before making a judgment, but says she and her husband have suffered financially from the federal return to work policies. More on that in a moment.

Andrew from New York, who has three adult children and works in the tech industry, said he approves of the job Trump is doing overall, but acknowledged he’s uneasy. “I’m a little nervous about the economy and the tariff war that’s brewing,” he said. “I think using tariffs as a negotiating tool to get agreements from other countries to get control of our borders, with respect to drug trafficking and immigration, could be an effective tool, but if it continues, it becomes an attack on the American consumer.”

Immigration

Many respondents in our poll had positive things to say about Trump on the border and immigration.

The border was my number one issue where I see night and day improvement.

He is doing what he said he would—what he has done at the border is incredible.

Some did say they were concerned about the tactics being used, but most put his immigration actions in the plus column.

Deporting illegal criminals I’m for. Deporting illegal law abiding citizens and breaking up families, no.

I am fine with deporting criminals, but not at scaring women and children.

Taylor said, “This could be my favorite thing Trump has done so far. I am thrilled with the way he has been aggressive about restoring our national security… Our country deserves secure borders and it’s reassuring to know we have an administration who is working to ensure that.”

Brittany says the US had a “very serious problem at the border” but under Trump, she isn’t “convinced that every deportation is fit and fair, meaning everyone has been given due process.”

Kristine mentioned immigration is a top issue for her, given how close she lives to the southern border. “I want border control, human trafficking to be eliminated, and the drugs that are flowing to be eliminated. What I don't like is hearing stories of him trying to deport people who have not done anything illegal besides trying to become residents of the United States. It’s like he’s trying to make a name for himself and prove that he’s doing something with these big headline stories but he’s not doing things in an ethical way.”

Andrew loves what Trump has done. He said it was the number one issue for him when deciding who to vote for in November. “I think it’s outstanding. He’s reduced the flow of illegal immigrants to a trickle, and we’re at, I think, historic lows at the border. He’s kept his promise from the campaign trail.”

Beth thinks overall Trump is doing well on immigration. But, she said she has limits on where immigration activities should take place. “I think when it comes to things like kids in school, however a child gets here, I think that should be off limits. I don’t think a child should be afraid to go to school.”

Foreign policy: Gaza

There was one topic we found the most agreement on, and that was President Trump’s comments about Gaza: Even his supporters thought him saying he would “take over” and “own” Gaza was inappropriate.

Kristine laughed when asked about Trump’s comments on Gaza. “I think he’s just talking as Trump sometimes talks. I think he’s making large statements to show that he can be a bully. I don't think he can do any of these things, I just don't. In my head, I think he’s just making these statements off the cuff, sort of like that we can own Greenland and we can take over Canada, I don't think there is any legitimacy behind what he’s saying. I hope, let's just put it that way.”

Taylor acknowledged: “I’m not so die-hard for my political party that I can’t admit Trump says some questionable things. The whole Gaza takeover, Canada becoming the 51st state, Greenland, I think it riles people up and maybe that’s why he says it.”

Brittany believes Trump’s comments were “not only inappropriate from a humanitarian standpoint but antithetical to everything he’s trying to do here in the US. He’s said he wants to do everything he can to save money, but then he’s going to spend money in Gaza?”

Beth said she reacted like most everyone else did, with confusion and surprise. She said, “what can you say to that? He likes to say things sometimes.”

Andrew felt Trump’s comments seemed “crazy on the surface,” but he didn’t exactly believe President Trump when he said the US would “take over” Gaza. “He wants Arab nations to put forward a plan and turn a war zone into some place that’s liveable. It’s an example of one of his strengths. Nothing has worked in the Middle East for 50 years. It seems far-fetched on the surface but when nothing else works, it gets people thinking outside the box and we see what comes out of it.”

Ukraine and Putin

Many of our respondents said ending the war in Ukraine was important to them, but there was occasionally some concern about Trump going easy on Putin.

I like that he’s trying to end the Ukraine war. I wish he was harder on Putin who started the war.

I do not approve of the US threatening to no longer back Ukraine and Trump's seeming to team up with Putin and Russia.

I am overjoyed that President Trump is trying to find peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Andrew said the war needs to end and that Trump is “uniquely positioned to do so as an incoming president with a fairly strong foreign policy record from his first term where no new wars were started. Some of the tactics are unclear, but he’s trying to open diplomatic relations with Russia. He’s maybe overly friendly, but we have to see how it plays out. He’s tough with Zelensky, but Zelensky is giving us mixed messages with the ceasefire. I’m supportive, but we have to see if we can get a ceasefire and treaty in place.”

Brittany agreed that she wants the war in Ukraine to end, and she said she is glad to see some movement “toward some sort of resolution.” But, she said, “the way President Trump handles things is chaotic and unsettling. The chaos makes me uneasy, but having someone who is willing to stand up to Putin and willing to talk to our adversaries is an advantage to some point.”

Taylor said, “This position with Ukraine should have been taken awhile ago. Zelensky found his cash cow in the Biden administration, and would have continued had Trump not played hard ball with both leaders and insisted they find a resolution for this war.”

Kristine: “I do not like the fact that he seems to be aligning with Putin, we all know that he is not kind to the citizens of his own country and he is not kind to the citizens of countries surrounding him. He’s a tyrant, to put it mildly, and the fact that he [Trump] seems to want to buddy up to somebody who is like that is not what I want. I expected Trump to bring about a more amicable relationship between our country and some of these other countries, and I don't see that happening now.”

Beth likes President Zelensky, and she thinks what she saw between him and President Trump in the Oval Office was more theater than anything else. She believes conversations like that have happened before with other leaders, “we just haven’t seen it so publicly displayed.”

She added, “I don’t think that President Trump is the first president to be friendlier with Putin although he is the first one to be more transparent about it. I think this is one of the things with President Trump that’s appealing to a lot of people. For better or worse, what you see is what you get. I don’t think anyone wants Russia to get more embedded in that area, but I do think we have to be working toward an end, and not just endlessly support this war.”

Government spending

Elon Musk and DOGE were by far the most talked about topics in our survey. One third of respondents mentioned DOGE, Musk, or government spending, and there was a clear split between those who loved what Musk was doing, and those who didn’t.

On the one hand, we heard things like this:

I love everything that Elon is doing with DOGE. It’s really disappointing to see all of the waste and fraud that has been going on in our government.

I fully support what POTUS is doing, including enlisting Elon Musk to uncover corruption and massive waste of taxpayers money.

But on the other:

I think there is some inefficiency and waste that needs to be dealt with. But the fact that Elon is even involved, the unqualified personnel, lack of care with classified info…chaos!

I am very concerned about how much authority he has given Elon Musk who seems determined to make decisions that will only harm us economically and socially. I don’t trust DOGE.

Beth thinks in order to do big things, you need to be unconventional. She said the biggest problem with getting anything done is friction between Democrats and Republicans. In her mind, “it was gonna have to be done in a truly unique and unusual way.” She admits it feels a little like “a wrecking ball coming in. Most people would be a little concerned about how it’s taking place but at the same time, I ask myself how else would this have happened?”

Taylor said as the wife of an entrepreneur and businessman, she knows wasting money doesn’t lead to success. “I am a huge fan of Elon and what DOGE is accomplishing,” she said. “Elon didn’t get where he is by paying people to do nothing and throwing money away. It seems like most in opposition to DOGE just hate what they’re doing because they hate Trump.”

Kristine is furious over the power Elon Musk has been given, which she thinks is directly affecting her life. “That’s the big one,” she said, when asked about her feelings on Musk and DOGE. “Putting an unelected, unappointed individual and giving him authority, that’s not what’s in our Constitution, that’s not what America is about.”

She went on to say, “I didn’t expect what has been happening to happen. The idea that someone can come in and put in large numbers of his own people to eliminate parts of the government is not right. I have a husband that works in the space industry and we look at it and we think SpaceX has contracts with NASA. How is that not a conflict of interest?”

Brittany, like Kristine, has been directly affected by Musk’s return to work policy for federal workers. Her husband used to work from home three days a week, and on days when he went into the office, he was able to drop their children off at school before heading in. Now, he has to be in five days a week at 6am. Brittany works an hour away, and says they’ve “had to scramble to find child care for our children” which has been tough on them financially.

“I think the way they have labeled federal workers is unsettling, factually wrong, and misguided,” she continued. She said her husband is “handcuffed and unable to do his job. It’s too busy and loud in the office so he can’t even get his work done. And with budgets being cut or money withheld, they aren’t accomplishing anything they hope to accomplish.”

Andrew is torn on Elon Musk and DOGE. One the one hand, he said, “Elon Musk is a national treasure. What he has done in business, like creating an EV car company, and SpaceX is an incredible company. I don’t necessarily agree with how he conducts business, but behind immigration, the national debt was the second most important issue to me. I am very worried about the future of my kids as the debt exceeds our military budget, increases our tax burden, and from the standpoint that something different needs to be done, I support the DOGE effort.”

But, his son, who worked for the US Forest Service, just lost his job. He said his son was let go because he was in a probationary period since he was promoted within the last two years. But he received a letter that said it was due to performance. “That was patently false,” he said. “If you’re going to cut, do it properly. They should have followed the reduction in force policy, not the way they did it. I agree with the concept of DOGE but let’s be careful that we are doing things legally, and with respect to the individual you are letting go.”

Explaining their vote

Ultimately, for voters who picked Trump and aren’t happy, most said they chose him because they liked his policies and felt overall his first term was pretty good.

Andrew might support Trump, but he wants people to know he doesn't necessarily love everything.

Andrew said, “I think maybe your readers would be interested in the fact that I am supportive of President Trump and his administration, but I think like anybody else, I hate Trump’s antagonistic wording. He digs in and doesn't let go. He will go back and attack people again and again. I don’t like the personal attacks. I’d like a leader I can respect a little more than him, but we have what we have. Directionally he’s taking the country in the right direction, I just don’t agree with the wording.”

Brittany told us, “For a lot of us Trump voters, there was never a day that we really wanted to vote for Trump specifically, but he was the best representation of the policies that were important to us. And if you can remove Jan 6 and the tweets and things like that from his first administration, it wasn’t so bad. But now, it just feels so chaotic, unhinged, and miscalculated.”

Kristine said she "didn't see many issues with him in the first term other than talking without thinking.” She went on to say, “I don’t remember having a whole lot of issues with policies or how he was running the government. And I wasn’t happy with Biden, and the quick switch [to Kamala Harris].” Now, she says, she is having a hard time because she doesn’t believe he’s thinking about the consequences his actions are having.

Taylor and Beth have a message to others who might not really understand what they see him in.

Taylor says she wishes more Americans “could put aside their hate for Trump and admit that while they don’t agree with every single thing he does, he has done good for our country so far. I wish the same Americans could simply admit that Kamala Harris was not the best choice for the Democratic Party, and it was their own party who failed them.”

Beth has one hope for the future: “I think sometimes people just get to the point where they say ‘you know what? Let’s just give this a shot to see if it’s any better.’ Maybe this wakes everyone up and we can get back to progress without constantly just opposing and fighting just for the sake of fighting.”