Focus group: Trump swing voters in Michigan have buyers' remorse
Erin Doherty
"Most Michigan swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups said
that although they voted for President Trump in November, they have
objections, frustrations and fears about his behavior since he returned to
power.
Driving the news: Ten of 13 participants from this battleground, auto-industry
state bordering Canada said what they're seeing isn't what they thought they
were voting for — and they're worried Trump's approach may hurt their
pocketbooks.
"Erratic," "frightening," "disruptive" and "dictator" were among the words they
used to describe their concerns.
Zoom in: A focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, but the
voters' reactions suggest that Trump risks overplaying his mandate to reshape
government, trade and international alliances.
The online panels, conducted Tuesday night, were made up of Michigan voters
who backed former President Biden in 2020 but switched to Trump last
November. Eight were self-described independents, four were Republicans and
one was a Democrat.
The big picture: The voters' responses stand in stark contrast to last month's
focus group with Arizona swing voters, all of whom said they approve of
Trump's earliest actions.
The Michigan voters felt differently after more exposure to Elon Musk, DOGE,
large-scale federal worker firings, tariffs and no relief on prices.
Trump entered his second term with a higher approval rating than he had
during his first term, but polls indicate his honeymoon has begun to fade as
Americans' concerns over the economy rise.
What they're saying: "I don't feel like he was this aggressive last time because I
don't think anyone would've voted for him if they expected to see what we're
seeing now," said Shannon B., 27, of Livonia, Mich.
Sheryl M., 44, of Chesterfield, said of Trump: "He's so erratic, and it's getting to
the point where I'm almost scared to watch the news. I mean, it's a little bit
frightening 'cause each day is something new, so you get a little anxious."
"I mean, Canada? When have we ever had issues with Canada?" asked Phil L.,
45, of Dearborn Heights. "We barely have a border. You can go in and out of the
country and a lot of places, a lot of states. I think we're just barking up the
wrong tree with this."
Another voter, Therese L., 55, of Commerce Township, bristled at the viral
image of a crowned Trump, the president's "long live the king" comment and
Trump saying, "He who saves his country doesn't violate any law. "
"He is acting like a dictator," she said.
One participant who does home remodeling, worried about tariffs raising the
price of wood and causing clients to drop their remodeling plans.
Another voter, who owns a health and weight loss business, said most of her
clients are in the auto industry — if they're hit it could devastate her. One said
she works in the auto industry and just got furloughed because "we are not
building any cars right now."
Michael L., 43, of Commerce Township, said Trump "campaigned on lowering
prices and making things more affordable for working-class people. He's
moving in the opposite direction." He conceded that Trump had previewed
tariffs during the campaign, but said "we didn't necessarily think it would be
this much, this fast."
"I was voting for him based off of the economy the first time around and I'm
seeing a significant decline," said Samantha S., 31, of Birmingham.
"I was expecting him to do things to better our country and I'm not seeing that,"
said Katelyn D., 26, of Woodhaven.
Several of the voters said they want Congress to push back.
Malea H., 34, of Clinton Township, said she fears "that this will eventually turn
into a dictatorship... if the people that we elected to be his checks and balances
don't check and balance him, then what are they there for?"
They disagreed with Trump freezing out Associated Press journalists from
coverage in the Oval Office and Air Force One because the independent news
organization hasn't gone along with his insistence that the Gulf of Mexico
should be called the Gulf of America.
"It's just so childlike," said Shannon B.
On the other hand: Only one of the 10 Trump voters-turned-critics said they'd
choose Kamala Harris for president if they could do it over.
"Trump, we've gone through four years with him before — and it's just kind of
just grin and bear it for another four," said Malea H., 34, of Clinton Township.
"Just because these swing voters discovered they don't like the taste of
wheatgrass juice, it doesn't mean they long to swallow castor oil," said Rich
Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups.
The three voters who did approve of Trump's earliest actions say that while
they may not agree with him on everything, on balance they at least feel he is
getting things done.
"He said that he would get busy as soon as he got in office, and I feel like he
has," said Kara B., 39, of DeWitt.
Go deeper: Trump's economic shock therapy
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