In yet another sign that President Donald Trump is losing support from many in his own base, a three-time Trump voter called C-SPAN on Saturday to say that he regretted voting for a man he described as America’s “worst” president.
“It’s hard for me to say this,” the caller, who only identified himself as Thomas from Hawaii, explained. “I wanted to believe Trump was the real deal for a long time.”
Thomas added that, although he had doubts because of Trump’s controversial business history, he set aside those reservations and voted for him anyway.
“Now I regret my support for him and I should’ve known better,” Thomas explained. Describing Trump as “a con man, a liar” and someone who does not “keep his promises,” Thomas added that “he’s in office all for himself and he doesn’t even try to hide his corruption anymore.”
“He’s the worst president we’ve ever had and he’s the most corrupt president we’ve ever had,” Thomas concluded. “I know it’s hard, it took me a while to be able to say that. Very difficult when you commit yourself to believing in somebody.”
While Thomas is not alone among Trump supporters who are struggling economically because of the president’s tariffs and war against Iran, others who have spoken to the press acknowledge that his policies have hurt them but insist that they were still right to vote for him.
“In a February earnings call, John Deere, the world’s largest maker of farm equipment, said it absorbed $600m in tariff-related costs in 2025 and expected that to double this year,” The Economist reported earlier this month. “Dave Peters, a semi-retired corn farmer near Harlan, Iowa, reckons farmers now need four times as many acres to make the same profit. Watching his son and granddaughter ride a tractor across his field, he reflects on how much it takes to get a farm going: ‘It’s costing half a million just out the door.’”
Peters was not alone.
“Preston Jimmerson, a cotton and pecan farmer in Georgia, reckons chemicals account for about 30% of his input costs,” The Economist added. “He plans to cut back by 15%, but fears this will hurt yields. ‘Taking the fertiliser away from a crop is like taking oxygen from a human,’ he says.”
Yet despite their reservations, The Economist added that Trump’s rural supporters continue to support him, even as rising gas, fertilizer and food prices are making it harder for them to get by. Many believe Trump will offer them a bailout to help them in their economic situations.
Similarly, in an NPR report last week, Mississippi Delta corn grower Sledge Taylor — a self-described lifelong Trump supporter — complained that his policies are pushing farmers “to the brink” despite his $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which Taylor described as inadequate to help farmers.
“If somebody took $100 out of my pocket and then turned around and gave me $20 back, patted me on the back and said they were my friend, I'm not really sure I would agree," Taylor argued.