‘I feel hoodwinked’: In red states, some of Trump’s former supporters turn on the president

A month before the midterm elections, Republican voters and independents in solidly conservative parts of the country are telling MS NOW they feel let down by President Donald Trump, and the dissatisfaction is pushing the GOP to defend territory it ordinarily takes for granted. Persistent high prices and the continuing war with Iran are the main complaints. Greg Mizell, 72, of Clewiston, Florida, said he had wanted a strong economy and no wars when he backed Trump in 2024. Penny Lee, also of Clewiston, now plans to vote for Democrats, while Denise Curtis of Toledo, Iowa, a registered Republican, says she will support Democrat Rob Sand for governor. Nick Dauncey of Wichita, Kansas, objected to another overseas conflict.

The party is treating Iowa and Kansas, both carried by Trump by double digits in 2024, as contested ground. A Republican source working on Senate campaigns told MS NOW that Georgia and North Carolina are expected to be lost and that Iowa and Texas are causing real concern. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas has criticized how immigration officers operate in his state, and Vice President JD Vance campaigned for him against Democrat Adam Hamilton, who led in an Emerson College poll.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →