Cracks are starting to emerge in working class, midwestern support of President Donald Trump and Republicans, according to a focus group conducted by The Working Class Project, a Democratic organization led by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the team at American Bridge 21st Century.
Voters in Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas seem to be opening the door to Democrats winning back the working class vote, according to the focus group results, which point to rising prices as a major concern.
In an Iowa focus group with working class women, not a single participant said the economy had gotten better in the past few months – and every participant said they expected it to be the same in a year.
READ MORE: 'Rantings of an immature child': What Tyler Robinson's supposed bullet casings may reveal
One female focus group participant was more specific, saying, "At first, I thought [Trump] was trying to save us money, going through and cutting out all the crazy money people in the government were spending. You know, he was going through and calling them all out on it, and I thought he was all for us. But then when he put the tariffs on and we couldn’t afford groceries no more, I’m like, where’d all the money go that he just cut and saved us, you know? Why are we paying more for everything when he just cut all the money they were wasting?”
READ MORE: Trump’s 'chief gaslighter' finally facing scandal she can't spin
"So he [Trump] can get a ballroom, I think," answered another woman.
Though some participants did say they were willing to give the president time for his policies to produce positive results, the most common words used to describe the economic outlook were, "chaos," "unsettled," and "uncertainty."
"They don’t feel like the people in power – which currently, in Washington, are Republicans – have made the progress they’re seeking," according to The Working Class Project Substack.
In response to Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," a male focus group member replied, "I think it's just an overall disastrous piece of legislation. I think the stuff of – the cutting, the Medicaid cuts, I think I think it was too big.”
When Trump voters were asked about the possibility of supporting Democrats, some seemed open to the idea.
"Maybe we can find some unifying properties there, something to help get everybody on the same page. … It would be fun and nice for a change," said one woman, while a male focus group member pointed to social issues as what has kept him away.
"I just feel like they're focusing so much on, you know, the social issue and aspect, and kind of pitting people against each other based on that rather than on other things. So I’d like to see us get away from all of that," the participant said.