Donald Trump’s approval rating is sinking fast, and more MAGA voters are abandoning him. Recent polls show that a growing number of Americans are dissatisfied with his leadership, and many former supporters are turning their backs on him, admitting they were wrong.
A newly released Reuters/Ipsos poll found that nearly 75 percent of U.S. adults are worried about a recession, and a clear majority – 59 percent – of Americans think the economy is in bad shape and only getting worse. Most of them are blaming Trump for the economic downturn, with 56% saying his policies are the main cause of the mess. That includes about one in four Republicans, signaling growing unease even within his own party.
This pattern shows up in other polls as well. Despite Trump and his supporters continuing to blame Biden, this argument is only sticking with his most hardcore MAGA base. But Republicans can’t win by only appealing to that group—they’re increasingly worried about a “political wipeout.”
The economy isn’t the only issue driving former supporters away. Young people who once voted for Trump are now horrified by his policies, particularly his harsh stance on immigration. The stories of innocent people being deported to brutal prisons in El Salvador, like Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, are causing many to rethink their support. Trump’s refusal to return Garcia, combined with his continued support of El Salvador’s authoritarian leader, has created a growing backlash from people who once stood by him.
Right-wing figures with big followings are also backing away from Trump. In a recent column, Michelle Goldberg from the New York Times observed a “vibe shift,” where former supporters of Trump are starting to reconsider their loyalty after seeing his policies in action.
This shift is evident in personal stories, too. On my SiriusXM show, I spoke to Mike from California, a three-time Trump voter, who now regrets his decision and feels betrayed. Mike, a federal worker and rocket scientist, was once a staunch Trump supporter, but now he’s furious. While his own job was safe, he watched people around him lose theirs. The mass firings and the chaos caused by figures like Elon Musk, who made drastic cuts to the government, angered Mike.
Mike also pointed to Trump’s attacks on Social Security, the mass deportations of innocent people, and the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, which hit him hard. “All of it infuriated me,” Mike said. “I’m sorry I voted for him.”
When I asked Mike why he voted for Trump in 2020, despite his disastrous handling of the pandemic, he said he didn’t agree with the lockdowns and thought Dr. Fauci had too much control. But now, Mike admits he doesn’t trust anything Trump says anymore. “I believed what Trump said—but not anymore!” he told Alternet’s Michael Signorile.
Mike is far from alone in his change of heart. Richard Hanania, a writer who once supported Trump, recently shared on social media that he regrets his vote. Hanania, who had been critical of left-wing politics, now admits, “The resistance libs were mostly right about him.”
This shift in perspective is significant. Trump’s approval continues to drop, and more people are distancing themselves from him. With Trump becoming more radical and extreme in his policies, it’s likely that more MAGA voters will continue to abandon him.
Meanwhile, the resistance is growing, and figures like Bernie Sanders and AOC are already leading the way, drawing massive crowds even in red states. Democrats need to build on this momentum and make sure the opposition to Trump continues to grow. The stakes have never been higher.
