Trump's 'greatest vulnerability' exposed in focus group of his own voters

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in calls to U.S. service members, on Christmas Eve, from the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 24, 2025. REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak

According to year-end polling from Gallup, only 36 percent of voters approve of President Donald Trump's performance. That number takes into account Americans on the whole, from Republicans to Democrats to independents. Gallup found that while Trump enjoys only 3 percent approval from Democrats and 25 percent approval from independents, 89 percent of Republicans still have favorable views of his second presidency.

Although the 2024 presidential election was close, Trump narrowly won the popular vote for the first time and made gains among independents, swing voters, Latinos and Generation Z. But now, according to Gallup, only 1 in 4 independents approve of his performance.

In order to gauge Trump's popularity among those who voted for him last year, Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago held a series of focus groups in 2025. And NBC News' Ben Kamisar, in an article published on December 29, describes some of the takeaways.

"The voters who put President Donald Trump back in the White House last year still largely support him," Kamisar explains. "But they are increasingly disagreeing with the president on issues like the economy and immigration, raising questions about the strength of his coalition heading into a midterm election year…. The groups included more than 50 Black, Hispanic and young voters who voted for Trump, as well as Trump voters who decided to back Democrats in this year's New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections. Consistent themes emerged across those conversations with different groups of Trump voters in March, June, September and December."

Kamisar adds, "Few are fully off the Trump train, though a handful are. A larger group, though, have started raising concerns, primarily around what they see as a lack of follow-through on tackling inflation and the cost of living, which were key reasons they voted for Trump in 2024. An overlapping group also balked at the (Trump) Administration's deportation policies. And while voters in the focus groups during the first half of 2025 were almost unanimous in approving of Trump's job performance, albeit with some hesitations, the drumbeat of frustration has grown louder as the year draws to a close."

Georgia resident Rozlyn C., a 44-year-old Cuban-American who voted for Trump in 2024, disagrees with Trump's tariffs but isn't giving up on him yet.

Rozlyn said, "I think he has a grand master plan that most of us probably don't understand. I have faith that he, a hundred percent, has the best interest of our country at heart."

But 54-year-old Virginia resident Robert L., after voting for Trump in 2024, is now saying that Trump is "delusional" and "out of touch" about inflation.

Engagious' Rich Thau, who moderated the focus groups, told NBC News, "It's clear President Trump's greatest vulnerability is being viewed as ineffective and insulated when it comes to inflation — just like President Biden was."

Read NBC News' full article at this link.

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