About 20 voters who supported President Donald Trump in 2024 told Reuters they want him to focus more on domestic issues and lower the temperature in his second year in office. One man from Florida said he might vote for a Democrat if Trump does not change his approach before the 2026 midterms.
Reuters has been interviewing the same group monthly since February 2025 to see how they view Trump’s return to the White House. In the latest round, six offered no criticism of Trump’s first year back, three said they were highly dissatisfied, and 11 gave mixed opinions.
None of the voters said they regretted supporting Trump, according to Reuters. However, many urged him to spend less time on topics they see as distractions and more time on issues that affect everyday life. These include immigration policy, health care, government spending, and the national debt.
Steve Egan, 65, a promotional products distributor from Tampa, Florida, said he wants Trump to “stay in his lane” and avoid creating a constitutional crisis through social media conflicts and political escalation. Egan mentioned that he usually does not vote for Democrats, but he might support one after Trump leaves office if that Democrat “talks more sense” than Trump.
Trump’s base of non-college voters has COLLAPSED… pic.twitter.com/3KlkPCYoHd
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) February 9, 2026
Several voters told Reuters they want a more selective approach to immigration enforcement. They suggested prioritizing the removal of people who commit serious crimes while creating clearer options for immigrants who have worked hard, stayed out of trouble, and settled down. Lesa Sandberg, 58, who runs an accounting business in St. George, Utah, said Homeland Security should focus on expelling criminals “not regular folk.”
Fourteen of the 20 voters expressed disappointment with Trump’s talk about annexing or taking foreign territories, such as Greenland and Venezuela. They want him to focus on problems in the U.S. Robert Billups, 34, an unemployed accountant from Washington state, said he would like Trump to “focus way more on America.”
The interviews also highlighted frustration among some supporters regarding the country’s financial direction. Sandberg said she wants Trump “to balance a freaking budget” and slow the growth of the national debt. Another voter, Terry Alberta, 65, a pilot from Michigan, said he had “high hopes” for the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort led by Elon Musk, but he has not seen progress on the deficit.
Some supportive voters still called for a change in tone. Joyce Kenney, who said she feels happier with Trump now than when she voted for him, nonetheless requested more humanity in how the administration handles immigration.
The Reuters panel is qualitative and not a statistical poll, but it provides insight into the kind of feedback Trump’s team may receive as campaigns pick up for the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. In that election, all House seats and a third of Senate seats will be contested, putting control of Congress at stake.
Trump has lost favor with a lot of groups that helped put him back in office, notably the independent voters. With the midterms looking less than ideal for the GOP and Trump, it is yet to be seen if he can turn it around.
