In the initial 100 days of President Trump’s second term, there has been a flurry of activity, including imposing high tariffs globally, detaining immigrants, and significantly reducing the federal workforce.
The New York Times has engaged in discussions with a group of voters who approached last November’s election with hesitation. They had various expectations and concerns regarding the new administration, and now, as the first 100 days wrap up, they have formed some preliminary opinions. A recent Times/Siena College survey found that many voters, even those who approve of Mr. Trump’s performance, view his initial months as “chaotic” and “scary.”
‘I don’t regret voting for him.’
Jaime Escobar Jr., 46, from Roma, Texas
Jaime Escobar Jr., the mayor of the small border town of Roma, is used to evaluating whether different strategies are effective. At this point, he feels mainly optimistic but remains cautious.
“I’m not saying I’m completely satisfied with everything, but overall, I believe Trump is addressing the issues that Americans care about,” he noted, highlighting immigration and economic concerns. “I don’t regret my vote for him.”
Initially identifying as a Democrat, Mr. Escobar switched his vote to Trump due to ongoing issues at the border. He appreciated Trump’s early executive actions which effectively restricted migrants from entering and seeking asylum in the United States. He noted that these moves contrasted sharply with President Biden’s more collaborative approach to immigration reform.
While Mr. Escobar has concerns about Trump’s tariff strategies, particularly regarding their impact on the economy, he has noticed lower prices at local grocery stores and gas stations. Transitioning his news sources from primarily CNN to also include The Times, Fox News, and MSNBC, he feels assured that Trump has a long-term economic vision.
“I think there’s a plan that Trump and his administration are trying to implement,” he added.
The biggest downside for him? The nation’s divisiveness.
“I dislike all the negativity,” he expressed. “We need to be able to listen to each other.”
— Edgar Sandoval
‘He’s taking it a bit too far.’
Dave Abdallah, 59, from Dearborn Heights, Mich.
Dave Abdallah has always appreciated Mr. Trump’s forthrightness.
However, to Mr. Abdallah, a real estate agent, there are limits that Trump often surpasses.
“He’s taking it a bit too far,” Mr. Abdallah remarked.
Change can be beneficial, he contended, if executed carefully, which he feels has not been the case with Trump.
“It’s just been overwhelming activity for the first 80, 90, 100 days,” said Mr. Abdallah, who mostly engages with local papers and watches a lot of news on television and online.
Residing in a region closely linked to the automobile industry and vulnerable to global trade shifts, Mr. Abdallah has been unsettled by the president’s approach to trade relations with China, Canada, and Mexico. “Ultimately, we must maintain good relations,” he emphasized. “Having neighbors at odds all the time is not ideal.”
Between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris, Mr. Abdallah initially leaned towards Trump but voted for the third-party candidate Jill Stein instead. Displeased with the Biden administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, he believes Trump wouldn’t do any better and feels his instincts have proven correct. The ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, his homeland, have also made an impact on his views.
If he were to vote for president today, he said, nothing would change.
— Kurt Streeter
Veronica McCloud, a retired educator, observed the first 100 days with a mix of disappointment and frustration, but also a tiny glimmer of hope.
Although she cast her vote for Kamala Harris, Ms. McCloud has tried to support Mr. Trump since. After a brief news hiatus post-election, she returned to watching ABC’s “World News Tonight” and sometimes checks out Fox News for different perspectives.
She had hoped Trump would abandon his polarizing rhetoric, but instead, he has fostered fear and uncertainty while enacting policies that she feels harm working-class Americans.
Most concerning to Ms. McCloud is his disregard for court rulings and a trade conflict that threatens the economy.
To her, his agenda to make America strong has often felt akin to “bullying.”
The mass layoffs of federal employees and the deportations of undocumented immigrants affirmed her belief in her voting decision.
Nonetheless, she retains hope that Trump might adopt a more balanced approach.
“I’ve been trying to steer my thoughts in a positive direction,” Ms. McCloud expressed, “hoping that one day he’ll recognize he isn’t just catering to his base, his MAGA supporters, but that he’s the president for everyone.”
— Audra D. S. Burch
‘I think it’s kind of a roller coaster.’
Darlene Alfieri, 55, from Erie, Pa.
Darlene Alfieri, a flower shop owner and registered Democrat, felt that the situation had strayed so far from normal that it was worth the gamble to vote for Mr. Trump. He had, after all, promised to shake things up significantly.
“I view it as a roller coaster ride,” she explained. Rising tariffs increased her business expenses, and she was aware of people impacted by federal budget cuts. The issues Mr. Trump aimed to resolve didn’t arise overnight, she mentioned, so they wouldn’t be resolved quickly either.
“At least they are trying a different strategy,” she said, though she expressed uncertainty about its effectiveness.
Darlene voiced concerns about the absence of information: What can people anticipate regarding prolonged high prices from tariffs? How can they ascertain the outcome of a trade war? Will prices eventually drop again?
While following local and national news, Ms. Alfieri felt the information often lacked depth. To gain perspective, she reached out to local community members with experiences, like military service, to better understand current events. She found it challenging to draw concrete conclusions without trustworthy information and hoped for a positive outcome.
“We can either ride this wave and make the best of it, or we can keep resisting it,” she stated. “Fighting it doesn’t seem to be getting us anywhere.”
— Campbell Robertson
‘You don’t want the plane to go down because you don’t like the pilot.’
Hamid Chaudhry, 53, from Reading, Pa.
Hamid Chaudhry has maintained a level head. He keeps up with national news from various sources, like The Times, Fox News, and CNN, while also observing his local area to see if the alarm is justified.
“The national news paints a pretty bleak picture for immigrants,” he remarked. However, after consulting with his local district attorney, he learned that, in Pennsylvania, no one without a criminal record was being detained or deported, no matter their citizenship status. As an immigrant from Pakistan who became a U.S. citizen, Mr. Chaudhry felt assured.
In his food market and within his community, he hasn’t noticed what he would call signs of recession; it seems like spending habits were just returning to normal after a brief surge of optimism post-election.
Mr. Chaudhry believes America is larger than any one leader. He cast his vote for Mr. Trump, thinking that some risks were necessary for change. He also appreciated judicial interventions, viewing them as a sign that the “system is functioning.”
He remains hopeful that tax cuts and reduced spending will encourage more entrepreneurship, although he’s somewhat concerned that Mr. Trump might go too far.
“I’m going to back him because he’s in charge,” he explained. “You don’t want the plane to crash just because you dislike the pilot.”
— Campbell Robertson
‘I still have that feeling of wait and see.’
Perry Hunter, 55, from Sellersburg, Ind.
Perry Hunter felt annoyed that many Americans expected Mr. Trump to resolve the nation’s problems within the first 100 days. A high school teacher, Mr. Hunter was willing to be patient for two years or more, believing others should be as well.
“I still have a sense of wait and see,” he shared, feeling at ease with his vote for Mr. Trump. “We live in a society that craves instant gratification and expects good results right away.”
He actively seeks diverse information about Mr. Trump from multiple outlets, including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, as well as liberal and conservative talk radio. He also watches news clips on YouTube and X.
He supports most of Mr. Trump’s actions so far, even the call to bar transgender women from competing in women’s sports. Nevertheless, he recognizes the risks of a president pushing an agenda without collaborating with Congress.
Mr. Hunter pondered the implications: What if such tactics set a precedent for future administrations whose policies he opposed? He doubted he and others would appreciate that.
He expressed concern regarding the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a migrant man wrongly deported to a prison in El Salvador, but he opted to reserve judgment until more details about Mr. Garcia’s situation became available.
While he considered Mr. Trump a narcissist, he also noted that the president had shown some humility and flexibility by proposing tariff revisions. This was proof to Mr. Hunter that Mr. Trump genuinely wanted what was best for the country.
“His ego is substantial; he wouldn’t want to be seen as someone who could plunge us into a Great Depression or ruin the economy,” he stated. “He clearly does not wish to be viewed as a failure.”
— Juliet Macur
‘My optimism and my hope are up.’
Tali Jackont, 57, from Los Angeles
Tali Jackont had her doubts but for now remained supportive of Mr. Trump.
“My optimism and hope are on the rise,” stated Ms. Jackont, an educator and longtime Democrat who supported Mr. Trump, believing he could foster prosperity and peace.
She was not fond of what she described as the “childish aspects of his personality,” but was willing to wait and see how things unfolded.
Having emigrated from Israel to the U.S. decades ago, Ms. Jackont follows both Israeli and American news closely and has clear expectations for the remainder of Mr. Trump’s presidency. He must fulfill his campaign promises and ensure economic stability, she asserted.
She appreciated the ongoing talks between his administration and Iran regarding nuclear activity and expected Mr. Trump to combat antisemitism on college campuses.
She hoped he might bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and, importantly, help to secure the return of the Israeli hostages.
However, she felt Mr. Trump had not been assertive enough with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, allowing him to break the ceasefire, which hindered options for retrieving hostages. “That really bothers me,” she expressed.
In January, Ms. Jackont had given Mr. Trump high marks, feeling positive about the release of hostages as an indication that his diplomatic approach was effective.
And now?
“It’s a low grade,” she admitted.
— Kurt Streeter
Video production by Nailah Morgan and Arijeta Lajka, who contributed reporting.
