For a decade, working-class Americans have helped shape Donald Trump’s political rise. But after 10 years, a war and soaring fuel prices, more of them are now saying they have had enough.
Jim Pasek, an 80-year-old retired pharmaceutical plant custodian, once strongly supported Trump. He now says of the president, “He’s not making sense.”
Sebastian Covey, a 24-year-old landscaper who voted for Trump in his first election, is now looking for someone to share a carpool with after replacing his truck with a car to manage rising fuel costs.
Many Americans continue to support Trump. However, his support appears to be changing in a way not seen since he upended the political establishment a decade ago.
Republican enthusiasm begins to fade
A public opinion poll last month found that only 29% of likely Republican voters believed the economy was better than it had been a year earlier. That figure was 72% in January.
The growing dissatisfaction is shaping the midterm elections and weakening Republican enthusiasm. Independent political analyst Charlie Cook has described the pattern as a “red undertow”.
Cook said the trend did not necessarily mean disillusioned Republicans would vote for Democrats. Most would not. Instead, it could discourage Republican voters and hurt the party’s candidates, particularly in closely contested races.
Lindsay Kronemeyer, a 35-year-old Christian conservative from Michigan, said her personal beliefs had not changed. “My belief system is still the same,” she said.
Kronemeyer canvassed for Trump in 2016 and 2020 and is becoming more active in the Republican Party. However, she said she wanted to think about the party’s future, and no longer saw Trump as part of it.
“He’s just not there in my head anymore,” she said.
Iran war becomes a campaign issue
The impact of the Iran war was a major issue in a televised Senate debate in Iowa between Republican candidate Ashley Hinson and her Democratic opponent, State Representative Josh Turek.
Hinson had voted against resolutions seeking to limit Trump’s war powers. Turek tried to use the issue to appeal to voters struggling with higher fuel prices.
“When you’re struggling at the pump, that is because of Ashley Hinson,” Turek told voters.
Hinson sought to balance her support for Trump with concerns about the war, saying the conflict needed to come to “an immediate and successful end”.
Both candidates also highlighted their willingness to work across party lines. Turek, who was previously a registered Republican, said he had voted hundreds of times with Republicans in the State House.
Hinson, meanwhile, promoted her work with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Battleground races reflect voter concerns
Senate debates were also scheduled in Michigan, Maine and Georgia, offering a glimpse of three different electoral contests.
In Georgia, Republican advertising had reportedly been reduced as Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff appeared to be in a strong position. In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins was showing greater strength in recent polls.
The Michigan Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers appeared to be closely contested.
Trump was also campaigning for Republican Senate candidates. He appeared in San Antonio to support Ken Paxton, although his speech focused largely on energising voters around Trump himself.
Before the Michigan debate, Trump referred to El-Sayed as “Mohammed” in a post on Truth Social. El-Sayed responded that Trump knew his name was Abdul and accused the president of trying to distract voters from unpopular policies.
Trump was scheduled to hold a rally in Alaska the following week to support the re-election campaigns of Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich, both of whom were facing competitive races.
In Michigan, the Corn Growers Association endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson. A spokeswoman said it was the organisation’s first endorsement of a Democrat for governor, describing it as another sign that Republican trade policies had unsettled the party’s agricultural base.
Polls show cost-of-living pressure
A CNN/SSRS poll of the Ohio Senate race showed Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown leading Republican incumbent Jon Husted by six percentage points.
Three-quarters of likely voters said Trump’s policies had increased the cost of living. A majority also expressed concern about tariffs and fuel prices.
In Iowa, the same poll suggested voters were increasingly willing to split their ballots. Hinson held an advantage in the Senate race, while Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand led by nine percentage points in the governor’s race.
Polling in Florida showed a less competitive Senate contest. Republican incumbent Ashley Moody led Democratic candidate Angie Nixon by 10 percentage points in a Mason-Dixon poll, in line with other recent surveys.
Meanwhile, Trump’s ratings on the cost of living continued to decline. Only 17% of adults approved of his handling of the issue in the latest AP-NORC poll, while just 38% of Republicans approved of his performance on the measure.nytimes+2
Fuel prices add pressure in Maine
The cost of heating homes has become a major concern in Maine, where half of households rely on oil for heat. Prices have risen following the war in Iran, adding pressure to the state’s Senate race.
Democratic candidate Troy Jackson raised the issue at a town hall this week. He joked that residents might need to find creative ways to heat their homes if they could not afford heating oil.
“It’s a good thing that Susan Collins got all those fire stations,” Jackson said, referring to his Republican opponent’s efforts to secure federal funding for fire stations. “Because we’re going to have a lot of fires.”
Some people in the audience laughed, although one person at the back said the remark was not funny.
