Trump voters face remorse as polling worsens sharply

A new nationally representative poll of 1,000 self-identified Trump voters finds regret rising among moderates, African Americans, young voters, independents, and highly educated voters—especially those dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy, the Ir

For many Trump voters, the second thought isn’t abstract. It’s timed to a specific ballot—and, now, to the possibility of doing it over.

In April 2026. political commentator Tucker Carlson—once one of President Donald Trump’s most stalwart loyalists—told his audience. “It’s not enough to say. well. I changed my mind – or like. oh. this is bad. I’m out.” Carlson said he would be “tormented” by his support for Trump “for a long time. ” and that he was “sorry for misleading people.”.

That kind of public regret is striking precisely because it comes from inside Trump’s orbit. Over recent months, other prominent conservatives and former allies of Trump—including former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Megyn Kelly—have voiced displeasure with him on issues ranging from his handling of the Iran war and the economy to the release of information concerning his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

And Carlson’s shift lands as polling continues to sour. Data compiled by pollster G. Elliott Morris shows Trump’s popularity has been steadily declining over the past year, with Americans questioning his handling of inflation, immigration, jobs, and foreign affairs.

Against that backdrop, a new nationally representative poll looks directly at the voters who made Trump president—asking whether they would change course if they could vote again in the 2024 presidential election.

The poll drew responses from 1,000 U.S. adults recruited from an online panel maintained by YouGov, and then narrowed its focus to self-identified Trump voters about their 2024 ballot.

Most still back Trump. The share is just smaller than it was before.

Support for Trump remains strong in the survey. Eighty-four percent of 2024 Trump voters said they would vote for Trump if given the chance to vote again in the 2024 election. That’s down 2 percentage points from the earlier version of the same question, asked in July 2025.

Over 90% of Trump’s core base also remained anchored. The survey found that 93% of self-identified Republican Trump voters would vote for Trump again, 95% of self-identified conservative Trump voters said the same, and 92% of Trump voters over age 55 would still back him.

But the poll’s most consequential finding is what happens around the edges—among groups that helped him make gains in 2024, and among voters who appear less satisfied with how he handled the biggest, most public issues.

Roughly one in three Trump voters in certain groups say they would vote differently if the election were held again.

The most regretful Trump voters, according to the survey, are those with whom Trump made significant gains in 2024. That includes political independents, African Americans, younger people, and those with more education.

About 3 in 10 of 2024 Trump voters who identify as political moderates and African Americans said they would vote differently in an election redo. The survey also found that roughly a quarter of young and middle-aged Trump voters suggested they would not vote for Trump if they could redo their 2024 vote.

Education and income show up too. Twenty percent of Trump supporters with postgraduate degrees said they would be reluctant to vote for Trump again if given a second opportunity. The survey reported similar reluctance levels among Trump voters with some college experience and among Trump voters making less than $40. 000 annually.

For Republicans, the most politically perilous group is independents. The poll found that 31% of independents who voted for Trump in 2024 would not vote for him again in an election do-over.

The survey doesn’t point to a single cause. Instead, it shows how dissatisfaction clusters around high-profile performance.

There is no single issue driving the shift. but the poll suggests negative perceptions of Trump’s performance on major matters are playing a big role. A substantial portion of Trump voters who gave the president a negative grade on the economy (22%). the Epstein files (37%). and the Iran war (49%) said they would not vote for him in an election redo.

That breakdown tracks a pattern: cracks in the coalition are forming, and they’re concentrated among groups that, before 2024, were less likely to vote for the president.

Trump may take solace in the continued loyalty of his strongest supporters. But in a close election. the survey’s numbers land like a warning—especially because the reluctance is concentrated among voters Republicans will need most to mobilize if they want to turn out swing-minded households and hold together a party coalition.

As Republicans face the electorate in upcoming midterms, Trump and the GOP will have to work to reclaim the support of regretful voters. Failure to do so could cost Republicans Congress in 2026 and, ultimately, the presidency in 2028.

The poll’s internal logic is blunt: while most Trump voters say they’d still choose him. enough voters across moderates. African Americans. young and middle-aged voters. independents. and highly educated groups say they would not to make coalition maintenance feel less like strategy and more like triage—one that starts with deciding whether this remorse is a moment or a trend.

Trump voters remorse voter’s remorse 2024 election Tucker Carlson Marjorie Taylor Greene Megyn Kelly Jeffrey Epstein files Iran war G. Elliott Morris YouGov poll political independents 2026 midterms