Analyst Warns Trump His Own Supporters Don’t Like What They’re Seeing
President-elect Donald Trump pulled together a winning coalition in the popular vote, making modest but noteworthy gains with some minority groups along the way.
However, as Ronald Brownstein pointed out for CNN, Trump secured his victory largely with a bloc of voters who don’t particularly like him and may not align with some of his key policies, such as mass deportations.
According to Brownstein, many of these voters backed Trump out of frustration over economic issues, and it wouldn’t take much for that fragile support to collapse.
This echoes the analysis of other political experts who think Trump will have a hard time holding his coalition together over the next four years.
“The long-term impact of Trump’s 2024 win could hinge on whether his time in office strengthens or weakens his bond with the voters who supported him despite their reservations,” wrote Brownstein.
“If these voters believe Trump has fulfilled his key campaign promises—like securing the border, boosting public safety, and stabilizing the economy—the GOP could solidify the significant progress it made this year.”
At the same time, “there’s a risk that some of those hesitant supporters might pull away as Trump’s personality and policies, which gave them pause on Election Day, inevitably come under greater scrutiny.”
There are already some red flags emerging. Trump has openly admitted that he lacks the power to bring down grocery prices, while big businesses are scrambling to push back against his plans for sweeping new tariffs.
This could create problems with the many voters who, according to exit polls, supported him despite their doubts.
Some Republican analysts warn that Trump might be setting himself up for failure if he doesn’t recognize the deep mistrust among his own base and continues to overplay his hand.
“If Trump gives his most controversial nominees—like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services or Kash Patel as FBI director—a ‘blank check’ to push divisive agendas,” GOP pollster Whit Ayres cautioned, “we’ll be looking at Joe Biden-level approval ratings before long,” as journalist Ronald Brownstein reported.