President Donald Trump may not be on the ballot this November. Still, his party’s candidates’ overall performance will be heavily influenced by the decisions he made in the first half of his second term.
A succession of polls shows that the American people and even his own voters are turning on him over his handling of the war with Iran and the economic fallout of that conflict, and new interviews also show exactly how those voters are thinking.
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, decends for landing at Ørland Air Base, Norway, during a Bomber Task Force Europe deployment, Aug. 9, 2025. The BTF mission highlights how we deliver effects rapidly across dynamic and contested environments through integrated training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tambri Cason)
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is photographed after landing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 22, 2025. Three bombers deployed for Bomber Task Force Europe with a total force integration team composed of roughly 30% active-duty and 70% reserve Airmen from the 7th Bomb Wing and 489th Bomb Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jade M. Caldwell)
The Guardian published a series of interviews on Friday, October 9, offering insight into how Americans feel about the president’s second term, with voters expressing everything from deep pessimism about the country’s future to continued confidence in the president’s strong leadership style.
The interviews come as new polling shows President Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to their lowest point of his second term, just weeks before Americans vote.
Americans Express Frustration
The Guardian interviewed nine Americans from different political backgrounds and asked how their lives have changed under Trump and what they see as the country’s biggest challenges.
Among them was Yajaira Martinez, a 43-year-old independent voter from Pharr, Texas, described as a disaffected Trump supporter.
Martinez expressed frustration over labor shortages that are slowing construction projects and increasing costs, and called for the United States to focus on its own problems rather than continuing the war with Iran.
“My biggest hit that I’m having right now is labor. I don’t have labor. I don’t have workers that can, you know, finish the houses as fast as we used to. It causes a ripple effect when it comes to supply and demand – houses taking longer, interest rates going higher, so everything is just going up in value,” Martinez wrote.
Another respondent, Justin Daniels, is a 45-year-old progressive Democrat and military veteran from Detroit, Michigan, who described the nation’s financial situation as dramatically worsening.
“Economically, much worse. It’s worse than it was two weeks ago. I have a pickup truck. Filling my gas tank two weeks ago, two months ago, was $80. Now, it’s $120. I’m expecting it to be $150. And not only that, my [utilities] bill is going to go up. What else is going to go up? Groceries are going to go up just because shipping is going up. I’m not getting a raise yet; again, we’re making record profits. Who are those profits going to? Not you and me, not the people who need the money,” he said.
But not everybody was pessimistic.
Sharon Anderson, a 70-year-old MAGA Republican from Etowah, Tennessee, described how she and her retired husband feel safer and more hopeful under President Trump’s leadership.
Although she acknowledged higher gas prices, Anderson described them as temporary.
She said she believes Trump will eventually resolve the conflict, a line President Trump has pushed since the war started driving prices up.
Trump voters, it seems, are listening to the president’s argument and believe that price hikes are a temporary side effect of a war that couldn’t be avoided and must be fought to ensure American security.
October 9 Poll Shows Americans Blame Trump
A new Reuters/Ipsos survey published Friday, October 9, suggests Americans are blaming President Trump for the country’s financial problems, and in growing numbers.
The survey, which was conducted among 4,506 American adults, found that 78% believe Trump’s policies bear at least some responsibility for the rising cost of living.
The data includes 64% of Republicans and 76% of independents, meaning Trump, or more specifically his party, is vulnerable.
More concerning for the White House, perhaps, was that 57% of Republicans acknowledged their living expenses are rising faster than their earnings.
This comes after months of rising energy prices, with gasoline now averaging $4.36 per gallon nationally as of Thursday, October 8, compared with $3.11 one year earlier, a 40% increase.
Former Trump Allies Speak Out
Concerns about Trump’s leadership, and more specifically the war in Iran, are not confined to Democrat politicians and commentators. Former Trump allies are speaking out in large numbers, too.
Former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former stalwart of the Trump MAGA agenda and one of his most outspoken supporters, has since become a prominent critic of the war.
During a CNN interview on March 16, soon after the war began, Greene questioned why an American president would enter into a major foreign war shortly before congressional elections. Her analysis has proved prescient.
Greene argued then that the administration was departing from the America First principles that helped Trump win the presidency.
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent also continues with his public opposition to the war, after resigning on March 17 and accusing President Trump of launching an unnecessary war.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
