[There are two areas of bipartisan agreement about President Donald Trump’s early days back in the White House: voters say he is moving quickly to keep promises and he is far more active and visible than his predecessor. However, there is a giant divide over whether that is fantastic or frightening.
Betsy Sarcone, a Republican voter from suburban Des Moines, praised Trump’s bold and big-thinking approach, saying “How refreshing it is to have someone who says what they mean and can coherently answer questions.” On the other hand, Democratic organizer Davette Baker of Milwaukee described Trump as “unhinged,” saying “The ‘law and order’ president isn’t holding up law and order…. And the immigration issue has everyone scared.”
Linda Rooney, a Republican voter from the Philadelphia suburb of Media, represented a middle ground, saying she was glad Trump was cleaning up the mess left by President Joe Biden, but wished he would use more discernment. Others, like Tamara Varga, a Republican small businesswoman in Tucson, were exhilarated by Trump’s busy and defiant early days, saying “President Trump is keeping his word. I think he has been very transparent and that is a breath of fresh air.”
Kristin Caparra, a consultant and Trump voter from the Philadelphia suburb of Drexel Hill, praised Trump’s swift confirmation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his efforts to challenge birthright citizenship. Debbie Katsanos, a New Hampshire Trump supporter, was more nuanced, saying she believed many of those convicted of January 6 violence were charged with more serious offenses than they deserved, but also said “anyone justly convicted of true violence” deserved to be punished.
Chris Mudd, a Trump supporter who owns a solar energy company in Waterloo, Iowa, was complimentary of Trump’s early moves, but also candid that he will likely have to bite his tongue sometimes. Andrew Konchek, a commercial fisherman, praised Trump for rescinding federal approval for offshore wind farms off the New England coast, which was a promise that won his vote.
However, Trump critics were alarmed by his early actions. Melissa Cordero, an Air Force veteran who lives in Tucson, said the decisions he made regarding LGBTQ+ rights and racial equity felt like a step back. David Moore, a registered Republican but Trump critic, saw nothing to like in the early Trump actions, saying the peaceful transfer of power is important and pardoning those who would have had it otherwise goes against a big part of what makes the United States special.
Tonya Rincon, a recently retired auto worker from suburban Detroit, called the sweeping January 6 pardons “lazy and a slap in the face to law enforcement.” Joan London, a Reagan conservative who switched her Pennsylvania voter registration to independent because of Trump, predicted many of his new initiatives would be tied up in court battles for years.
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