President Donald Trump is being criticized by voters who helped him reclaim the White House, and Democrats see a chance to gain ground. But they still don't have a real plan.
That's what Navigator Research, a group aligned with Democrats, found by conducting three separate focus groups with Trump voters from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. These are key states. These are voters who chose Trump in 2020 and again in 2024. Now, many of them are questioning that decision.
This aligns with other recent research showing that more people are getting frustrated with how Trump is handling the economy. The cost of living hasn't fallen, tariffs are hitting harder, and the chaos that people expected him to fix seems worse.
But even with all this frustration, Navigator is telling Democrats to stop standing still and waiting for voters to come running back to them magically. They need to present their own answers. And fast.
Democrats avoid action while voters regret their choice.
Rachael Russell, who leads research and analysis for Navigator, told Democrats not to get lazy.
"Democrats can't just assume that because [voters] are upset with Trump now, that someone is coming back to them," she said. "They need to present their vision of what an economy that works for everyone looks like, and it can't just be that the economy is bad."
She said that voters are already showing signs of regret.
"Now is the time to provide real solutions that people can see as an alternative, because we are seeing this fragmentation now," Russell said. "We are seeing people saying, 'this is not necessarily what I voted for.'"
And yet, even with all the warning signs flashing red, Russell said that most Democrats are still doing nothing. "Everyone is kind of like, we’re not in power, we can’t do anything."
She said that those few who are trying to show a different way are doing it alone. "There are people out there doing this on their own, but as an entity, as a party, it doesn't seem like there is a real vision being expressed," she said.
This is a big opportunity for the party, but it won’t mean anything if they keep ignoring the hard part — offering real solutions that people can understand and support.
Voters are clearly tired. In a CNN poll, the number of Americans who think Trump has worsened the economy rose 8 points in just one month. In the focus groups, people described Trump's first 100 days as "chaotic," "disappointing," and a "mixed bag."
The shadow of Trump looms large over economic prospects.
These focus groups emerged shortly after Trump's 100th day in office. His approval ratings? At rock bottom. A poll from The New York Times and Siena College found that voters hated how he was handling all the major issues, even immigration and the economy — his so-called strengths. He took to Truth Social, calling the numbers "FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS."
But his base is no longer buying it. People in the focus groups were frustrated that prices haven't fallen. They pointed to Trump's failure to address the cost of living, even though that was what he promised when he returned to office.
Tariffs are part of this anger. Most of those now hitting hard were announced last month. Some voters said they liked the idea, but hated how messy the implementation was. A college-educated man from Michigan said: "It's not a bad idea, but if the implementation is failing, then — you can't just turn it on and off like it's air conditioning." He said all of this has created instability and made it hard for people to plan.
Still, others were more patient. Some said they would give Trump a year to make it work, even if it was painful for a while. This patience was tested when the moderator shared a Yale University study showing that tariffs could cost families an additional $4,700 a month. Some voters simply dismissed this.
Meanwhile, Trump just signed a bill that was supposed to be about taxes and border enforcement. But buried in the details was language that granted him enormous new executive powers. This law even shut down a Pentagon program. And yes, this bill passed with his signature.
