These swing voters regret voting for Trump and it's influencing their midterm choices
asserted
it → regret → choices
Some key voters say deep frustration and disappointment with President Trump are motivating their election plans just weeks before Election Day.
asserted
frustration → say → Day
NPR observed two online focus groups Tuesday night with 12 Georgians who voted for President Biden in 2020 and then supported Trump in 2024.
asserted
who → observe → 2024
Almost every voter — 11 out of 12 — said they were disappointed with the overall job Trump has been doing.
asserted
Trump → say → job
And 10 said they regret voting for him.
asserted
they → say → him
"I've been disappointed," said Charles P., 43, who identified as a Democrat.
asserted
who → disappoint → Democrat
(The voters participated under the condition their last names would not be used.)
asserted
names → participate → condition
"I just don't feel like there's any positive to this administration at all," he continued.
asserted
he → feel → administration
"Inflation has only gotten worse, there've been more wars.
asserted
Inflation → get → ?
The tariffs haven't done anything.
asserted
tariffs → do → anything
It seems like we have more enemies now than ever.
asserted
we → seem → enemies
I just don't see anything positive with his tenure."
Richard A., a 56-year-old Republican, said he's been out of work for 10 months and there is a long list of problems he sees with the direction of the country under Trump.
asserted
he → see → Trump
"Food crisis, starting the war with Iran, inflation," he said.
asserted
he → start → Iran
"ICE immigration has just torn families apart, has caused deaths. ...
asserted
immigration → tear → deaths
It just seems like everything has gone downhill."
asserted
everything → seem → ?
The comments align with Trump's faltering approval rating and a darkening midterm outlook for Republicans.
asserted
comments → align → Republicans
Trump has picked up his campaign travel in recent days, touting his record and arguing for the GOP to retain control in Washington.
asserted
GOP → pick → Washington
These focus groups with swing voters are conducted every month in battleground states across the country.
asserted
groups → conduct → country
They are run by messaging firm Engagious and market research recruiting firm Nelson Recruiting.
asserted
They → run → Engagious
NPR partners with them each month as part of the Swing Voter Project.
asserted
NPR → partner → Project
Focus groups are not scientifically significant like polls, but they do provide insight into what voters are thinking.
asserted
voters → provide → what
And in this case, they provide some insight into how voters are deciding who they are supporting this fall.
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they → provide → who
Swinging to Democrats
asserted
Swinging → swing → Democrats
Rich Thau, president of Engagious, moderates these focus groups.
asserted
Thau → moderate → groups
He said for the first time this year, a majority of swing voters said Trump was going to influence their midterm decisions.
asserted
Trump → say → decisions
"In previous months, when we asked people whether President Trump would influence how they vote, they would say things like, 'Well, I'm looking mainly at the candidates themselves,' or 'I'm looking at the overall sort of environment in the country,'" Thau said.
"
asserted
Thau → ask → country
This month, seven out of 12 said that he would influence them to vote for Democrats.
asserted
he → say → Democrats
"I did vote Republican for 2024," she said.
asserted
she → vote → 2024
"I made up my mind.
asserted
I → make → mind
I've been so disappointed that I'm just going to go straight and just do Democrat, Democrat, Democrat.
asserted
I → go → Democrat
Because I'm so disappointed with how this administration has been doing.
asserted
administration → disappoint → ?
Cedric, a 41-year-old independent, said he won't be voting for any politicians that are closely aligned with Trump.
asserted
that → say → Trump
"I think we're not going in the right direction, so I don't want to vote for a candidate that's not going to stand up to him or they're going to go along with his policies," he said.
asserted
he → think → policies
"I'm looking for something different."
asserted
I → look → something
Ten out of the 12 participants said they plan on voting for Georgia incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
asserted
they → say → Ossoff
Some voters said they wanted to keep him in office specifically because he wouldn't be aligned with Trump.
asserted
he → say → Trump
Thau said some voters felt that if Democrats take control of Congress, it could provide some needed stability to the country — and the economy, in particular.
uncertain
it → say → country
"There was some sense that Democrats could restore some semblance of order, and that they'd be able to control a bit of what the president is trying to do or has been doing, to the point where that might restore some of their confidence in the economy," he said.
uncertain
he → be → economy
That's what Thomas M., a 65-year-old independent voter, said is his expectation of a Democratic-run Congress.
"
asserted
M. → say → Congress
I think there would be more controls placed on Trump with people who are not afraid to stand up to him," he said.
asserted
he → think → him
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
