Trump's Grip on His Base Begins to Slip
Donald Trump's relationship with his core supporters has always been a delicate one, but recent events suggest that their loyalty may be waning. The release of more documents from the Justice Department's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker who was friends with Trump, did not yield any groundbreaking revelations but instead highlighted the president's inconsistent and often contradictory approach to the case.
Trump's handling of the Epstein files has been a major self-own for him. During his 2024 presidential campaign, he promised to release all the remaining documents associated with the financier's crimes, but after taking office, he released only a handful of them and claimed that interest in the case was a hoax pushed by Democrats.
The damage had already been done, however. A recent CNN poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe the federal government is intentionally withholding information about Epstein, including 42% of Republicans. Conservative radio host John Fredericks called Trump's decision to delay releasing the documents "the biggest mistake he's made" and said that the president should have released them immediately.
Another issue where Trump's core voters appear to be drifting away from him is immigration. The president has been a vocal supporter of his border crackdown, but most Americans now disapprove of his approach. A growing number of Republicans, including those who voted for border security in the past, are coming around to the idea that Trump's policies have been misguided.
The cost of living, which was a major campaign promise for Trump, has also become a major point of contention. Despite initial enthusiasm from voters, many now say they feel betrayed by the president's failure to deliver on his affordability promises. A recent New York Times poll found that fewer than 10% of Republicans would call the economy "excellent," and six in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of cost-of-living issues.
Trump's biggest problem, however, remains affordability itself. The president campaigned on bringing down inflation and making America affordable again, but so far, he has failed to deliver on that promise. As the midterms approach, it is unclear whether Trump can turn things around or if his base will continue to erode as more voters become disillusioned with his policies.
Donald Trump's relationship with his core supporters has always been a delicate one, but recent events suggest that their loyalty may be waning. The release of more documents from the Justice Department's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker who was friends with Trump, did not yield any groundbreaking revelations but instead highlighted the president's inconsistent and often contradictory approach to the case.
Trump's handling of the Epstein files has been a major self-own for him. During his 2024 presidential campaign, he promised to release all the remaining documents associated with the financier's crimes, but after taking office, he released only a handful of them and claimed that interest in the case was a hoax pushed by Democrats.
The damage had already been done, however. A recent CNN poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe the federal government is intentionally withholding information about Epstein, including 42% of Republicans. Conservative radio host John Fredericks called Trump's decision to delay releasing the documents "the biggest mistake he's made" and said that the president should have released them immediately.
Another issue where Trump's core voters appear to be drifting away from him is immigration. The president has been a vocal supporter of his border crackdown, but most Americans now disapprove of his approach. A growing number of Republicans, including those who voted for border security in the past, are coming around to the idea that Trump's policies have been misguided.
The cost of living, which was a major campaign promise for Trump, has also become a major point of contention. Despite initial enthusiasm from voters, many now say they feel betrayed by the president's failure to deliver on his affordability promises. A recent New York Times poll found that fewer than 10% of Republicans would call the economy "excellent," and six in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of cost-of-living issues.
Trump's biggest problem, however, remains affordability itself. The president campaigned on bringing down inflation and making America affordable again, but so far, he has failed to deliver on that promise. As the midterms approach, it is unclear whether Trump can turn things around or if his base will continue to erode as more voters become disillusioned with his policies.