Six months into Trump's second term, voters remain divided
'The amount of progress he has made over the first six months is unmatched,' said Taylor, a businesswoman in Iowa. She grades the first six months of President Donald Trump's new term a nine out of 10.
Zero was the grade offered by Malinconico, a college professor in Pennsylvania.
'His slashing of government and putting incompetent people in charge is going to harm every aspect of American life,' is Malinconico's take at six months.
Their polar opposite assessments highlight one big takeaway of a check-in with voters participating in CNN's 'All Over the Map' project: The black or white views of Trump that animated the 2024 campaign now carry over to how most voters view his presidency.
Those who voted for Trump remain overwhelmingly loyal, enthusiastically backing his agenda. 'Better,' is how New Hampshire Trump voter Deven McIver described his standard of living since Trump returned to the White House. 'Lower fuel costs. Less job competition from illegals and I feel safer.'
But those who opposed Trump in the campaign are just as fiercely opposed to his governing now. 'Disappointed doesn't come close to what I am feeling,' said Pat Levin, a lifelong Democrat who lives in Pennsylvania. 'Terrified, petrified, horrified come close to describing how I feel about the unraveling of our country and the rule of law.'
Nothing in the responses suggested any give in the polarization of the Trump era. Views on Trump's immigration agenda offer a telling snapshot of that.
'He has turned ICE and CBP into the American gestapo,' said Tonya Rincon, a Michigan Democrat, who criticized ICE tactics as overly aggressive 'with no due process.' Rincon said using tax dollars to send migrants 'to other countries is an abomination reminiscent of the Third Reich.'
Michigan voter Tonya Rincon speaks to John King in Wayne County, Michigan, in 2024.
CNN
On the other side, 'He did what he promised,' Taylor said. 'Trump is making progress and standing up for the rights of those who honor our country and our process.'
These voters helped us track the 2024 campaign. Now, we keep in touch for their assessments of the Trump presidency and other big issues as we inch closer to the 2026 midterm elections.
Other noteworthy points:
►Most of the voters, regardless of their choice last November, said the cost of living remains frustratingly high.
►Many of the Democrats voiced support for Trump's recent decision to do more to help Ukraine get weapons for the war with Russia, though many of them questioned his motives for this shift. Several Trump voters, on the other hand, oppose helping Ukraine.
'Hopefully he realizes the stakes of letting his former friend (Russian President Vladimir) Putin taking over more of Ukraine,' said Darrell Ann Murphy, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.
'He reluctantly came to the conclusion he was getting played by Putin,' said Marvin Boyer, also a Pennsylvania Democrat.
► Trump's handling of the saga over accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was criticized, even ridiculed, by both Trump voters and Democrats who despise him. None of the Trump voters went as far as saying this issue might make them rethink supporting Trump, but many of them were harsh as they voiced suspicion that Trump is hiding something.
'I want to see the truth,' said McIver, a blue-collar Trump voter in New Hampshire. 'I don't believe the administration's claims.'
Pete Burdett, also a New Hampshire Republican, offered high praise of the Trump agenda overall but said he was flummoxed by the change of Trump's tone on Epstein. 'NOT SURE at this point.' Burdett wrote in an email. 'What changed?'
Rachal Kulak, a Christian conservative Trump supporter in Virginia, said the 'Epstein files debacle' was a black mark on an administration she believes is otherwise much more transparent than the Biden administration. 'It may be better to just rip the Band-Aid off and let people see.'
Kulak said 'it may have taken a minute,' but she voiced confidence Trump would ultimately move forward 'with giving the people what they want to see.'
Other respondents brought up a conspiracy theory that Trump's refusal to make all Epstein files public is somehow tied to Israel, a notion that has gained footing among Trump supporters.
The conspiracy theory is unfounded and has been dismissed as without merit by current and former Israeli government officials.
Those who raised the idea in our check-in were troubled by it, but said they still supported the president.
Voters who opposed Trump, meanwhile, expressed other concerns about the Epstein saga.
Joan London is a Pennsylvania attorney and longtime Reagan Republican who switched her registration to independent because of her misgivings about Trump.
'The 'nothing to see here' tone after getting elected by fueling speculation among supporters is suspicious,' London said of the Epstein saga. 'If there is nothing to fear, then the books need to be opened.'
Democrats see the Epstein dustup as Trump finally getting some accountability for his love of conspiracy theories. For years, Trump and his allies suggested Democrats were hiding the Epstein files to protect themselves. Now, Trump calls his own supporters 'weaklings' for demanding the transparency Trump himself repeatedly said was critical.
'Watching him scrambling between explanations is comical,' said Rincon, the Michigan Democrat who is a recently retired union auto worker.
'Fumble,' was the one-word assessment of Walter Robinson, a Michigan Democrat and auto worker.
'Outrageous but predictable' is how Levin, the Pennsylvania Democrat, described Trump's efforts to manage the Epstein blowback. 'Deny, shift responsibility, claim a Democratic conspiracy.'
The voter assessments on the cost of living are worth tracking as we move into the 2026 midterm cycle. Reducing costs was a major Trump and Republican 2024 promise, and Democrats are already arguing the president's unpredictable back-and-forth on tariffs and other policies are hurting consumers.
'Costs are increasing, especially rent,' said Jacob Dials, an Arizona Democrat.
John King talks with 94-year-old Pat Levin at SteelCore Pilates studio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
CNN
'Currently about the same, perhaps slightly better,' said Kulak, the Virginia Republican.
'The same,' said Democrat Robinson.
'Same, but getting better,' said Taylor, the Iowa Republican.
'Inflation still persists,' said Cynthia Sabatini, a suburban Philadelphia Republican who supports many Trump policies but sees him as lacking character and humility. 'Across the board tariffs are not a good approach.'
Kim Cavaliere, an independent who lives in Georgia, said her standard of living was down since Trump took office.
'Everything he has done so far is for the wealthy,' she said. 'Housing is still way out of reach.'
Cavaliere did offer a dose of humor to close her answers to our questions about Trump at the six-month mark.
'Well, I wish I could predict my lottery numbers the way I predicted Elon Musk and Trump would sever their relationship within a year of him being president,' Cavaliere said. 'LOL.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US to leave UN cultural agency UNESCO again: Diplomats - Region
The United States will leave the United Nations' culture and education agency UNESCO as President Donald Trump continues to pull his country out of international institutions he has long criticized, two European diplomats told Reuters. The White House has not immediately responded to a request from Reuters for comment outside regular business hours. According to Reuters, the move is a blow to the Paris-based agency, founded after World War II to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture. The New York Post also reported on the US withdrawal, citing a White House official. Trump took similar steps during his first term, quitting the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, a global climate change accord, and the Iran nuclear deal. Joe Biden reversed those decisions after taking office in 2021, returning the US to UNESCO, the WHO, and the climate agreement. With Trump now back in the White House, the US is once again withdrawing from these global bodies. He has already decided to withdraw the US from the WHO and halt funding to the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA as part of a review of the country's participation in UN agencies, due to be concluded in August. UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, including the Grand Canyon in the United States and the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria. The United States initially joined UNESCO at its founding in 1945 but withdrew for the first time in 1984, in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-US bias. It returned almost 20 years later, in 2003, under President George W. Bush, who stated that the agency had undertaken the necessary reforms. The United States provides approximately eight percent of UNESCO's total budget, down from around 20 percent at the time Trump first withdrew the country from the agency. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Independent
3 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
How much do Republicans care about the Epstein files? More than it might seem
CNN — One of the biggest questions looming over President Donald Trump's second term right now is how much his supporters truly care about the Jeffrey Epstein files. The distinction between caring a lot vs. a little is critical. The former could mean a sustained problem for the president that bleeds into the midterm elections and affects turnout among his typically loyal base. The latter would mean this is likely nothing more than an ugly episode that ultimately fades away. So, now that we've had a chunk of time since the Justice Department released their controversial Epstein memo, how much do Republicans care about all this? A bevy of new polls show they're unhappy with how the Trump administration has handled this scandal and suggest it could be a persistent problem for the GOP. The base is about evenly split on the administration's actions, meaning there's a higher degree of skepticism than we almost ever see with Trump. And that might actually undersell the level of lingering GOP concern. Americans overall are negative — and the GOP is unusually split Multiple polls show widespread dissatisfaction overall with the Trump administration's handling of the matter. Both Reuters-Ipsos and Quinnipiac University polling showed Americans overall disapproved of how the Trump team has handled this by huge margins: 54-17 percent in the former and 63-17 percent in the latter. (The former poll's question was about Trump personally, while the latter was about the administration more broadly.) So that's just 17 percent of Americans who said Trump and the administration have gotten this right, in both polls. The vast majority in that group are, of course, Republicans. But delving into the GOP-specific takeaways, the party is about evenly split — which is unusual on the Trump administration's actions. They leaned slightly towards approving the handling of the Epstein probe, 35-29 percent in the Reuters-Ipsos poll and 40-36 percent in the Quinnipiac poll. It's difficult to recall an issue on which Republicans were so lukewarm about major Trump actions. For instance, even shortly after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, an event that led many to conclude that Trump's political career was over, a CNN poll showed Republicans approved of Trump's response by a strong margin: 63-32 percent. Many Republicans aren't dinging Trump yet — that could change Being disenchanted isn't the same as ditching someone politically, however. Precisely how much people actually care is a critical point. There's some evidence that Republicans are downplaying the significance of this. A new CBS News-YouGov poll released Sunday, for instance, showed just 11 percent of Republicans said Epstein-related issues matter 'a lot' in their evaluation of Trump's presidency. That's compared to 36 percent of overall voters who said that. To the extent that's true, it would seem this is something Trump could move past. But polling has a persistent weakness: Respondents aren't always totally honest with themselves or pollsters. For instance, ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, the conventional wisdom was that Democrats' focus on democracy after the January 6 attack wasn't panning out and that the issue might even spur GOP turnout. The results ultimately showed that the issue was a significant benefit to Democrats, and election-denying Republicans did significantly worse than other Republicans. On Epstein, the CBS-YouGov poll suggests there are gaps between how much people say they care about the issue vs. what their other feelings or behavior reveals. While it showed 50 percent of Republicans said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the administration's Epstein actions, 83 percent of polled Republicans said the Justice Department should release all the information it has on Epstein — something the Trump administration has decidedly not done. (The administration late last week moved in court to unseal grand jury testimony. But that's only a small portion of the information, and much of it could remain secret.) The same poll also showed 90 percent of Republicans believed the Epstein files probably includes damaging information about wealthy or powerful people. Similarly, the Reuters-Ipsos poll showed Republicans said 55-17 percent that they believed the federal government is hiding information about Epstein's death, and 62-11 percent that it is hiding information about his clients. Those responses suggest Republicans aren't happy with the administration's meager disclosures, even if they're not looking to register that dissatisfaction when explicitly asked. Trump's support is very lukewarm The polling also reveals that even many of those who stand by Trump aren't doing so with a high degree of confidence. While the Reuters-Ipsos poll showed Republicans were about split on Trump's actions; only 11 percent 'strongly' approved of Trump's actions. And while half of Republicans in the CBS-YouGov poll said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the Trump administration's actions, just 10 percent were 'very' satisfied. That's only about 1 in 10 Republicans who look at this and say they completely sign off. The CBS-YouGov poll also showed MAGA Republicans were more likely to lean towards being satisfied (60 percent were at least 'somewhat' satisfied) than non-MAGA Republicans (41 percent). So are MAGA Republicans — the ones who have vociferously called for releasing more information on Epstein — more satisfied than their non-MAGA breathren? Or are they just feeling compelled to toe the Trump party line, at least somewhat? Regardless, those numbers don't mean this won't be a problem with a significant section of Trump's base. Those voters could sour on him, at least somewhat, perhaps in combination with other recent Trump actions they don't love, like on the war in Ukraine. A Wall Street Journal report last week on a letter Trump allegedly wrote for Epstein's 50th birthday back in 2003 appeared to unite even many Epstein-focused influencers behind Trump and against the media, their frequent common enemy. Trump denied he wrote the letter and has sued the Journal; his base seems to largely believe he's being railroaded. But that doesn't mean they're satisfied overall and ready to let the issue go. The data suggest that, for now, this remains a minefield for Trump.
Egypt Independent
3 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Israeli tanks roll into Gazan city of Deir al-Balah for first time since war began
CNN — Israeli tanks on Monday rolled into a part of central Gaza that has not previously seen ground operations in the 21-month war, according to Israeli media, aid agencies and witnesses. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on its operations. However, Israel Army Radio said the operation had begun. It said the IDF's Golani Brigade had 'begun a ground maneuver in the southern Deir al-Balah area,' which had been preceded by aerial and artillery strikes last night. Army Radio said that 'at this stage, the maneuver involves only one brigade, and it is expected to continue for several weeks.' On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate an area of nearly 6 square kilometers (2.3 square miles) and dropped thousands of leaflets in Deir al-Balah. The IDF Arabic language spokesperson said the military 'continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area. It is expanding its activities in this area, operating in areas where it has not operated before.' Israeli media has reported that the IDF has been reluctant in the past to carry out ground operations in Deir al-Balah for fear of further endangering surviving hostages, who may be held there. The Hostages Families Forum said Monday that it was alarmed by reports the assault had begun and demanded the government explain why 'the offensive in the Deir al-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk.' The NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), which has staff in the Deir al-Balah area, said Israeli forces had launched 'a ground and air assault' Monday. MAP's Communications Officer in Gaza, Mai Elawawda, said the situation was 'extremely critical.' 'Shelling is taking place all around our office, and military vehicles are just 400 meters away from our colleagues and their families,' Elawawda said. CNN spoke with people leaving the area Monday, against a background of explosions and artillery fire. Several said there had been intense fire and airstrikes overnight. 'We were surprised to see the tanks coming towards us directly. There was no prior warning,' said Umm Ali al-Qayed, who added that she had left a tent without any belongings. 'I am a mother of four martyrs and I have been displaced three times,' she added. Mohammed Abu Amous, who was also leaving, told CNN: 'They told us to leave. All night the artillery and strikes are falling on top of us.' Against a backdrop of persistent explosions, Attef Abu Mousa pointed to a tarpaulin sheet he was carrying. 'This tent I have put up and down 13 times. Tonight was very difficult.' Abdallah Awar said his family had left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. 'Starvation, famine, killing, and displacement, and children dying in front of our own eyes, enough is enough,' he said. 'We ask the world to help us, we ask Hamas to stop this farce.' The United Nations said the evacuation order had 'dealt yet another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip.' The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday that an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people were in the area at the time, many of whom were already in displacement sites. The newly-designated area for evacuation includes several humanitarian warehouses, medical facilities and critical water facilities, OCHA said, warning that 'any damage to this infrastructure will have life-threatening consequences.' With this latest order, 'the area of Gaza under displacement orders or within Israeli-militarized zones has risen to 87.8 per cent, leaving 2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12 per cent of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed,' OCHA added. 'It will limit the ability of the UN and our partners to move safely and effectively within Gaza, choking humanitarian access when it is needed most,' the UN body said. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the agency's staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah was attacked, and that two staff members and two family members were detained. All but one of the staff members were later released, he posted to X, demanding the release of the detained staff member. He added that WHO staff and family members were forced to evacuate on foot to Al-Mawasi 'amid active conflict.' The latest evacuation order in Deir al-Balah, he said, affected several WHO premises impacting the agency's ability to operate in Gaza. 'WHO's main warehouse located in Deir al Balah is within the evacuation zone, and was damaged yesterday when an attack caused explosions and a fire inside,' the director-general said. 'With the main warehouse nonfunctional and the majority of medical supplies in Gaza depleted, WHO is severely constrained in adequately supporting hospitals, emergency medical teams and health partners, already critically short on medicines, fuel, and equipment.' CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on WHO's remarks. This story has been updated with additional developments.
