In the fall of 2024, Sharita White made a decision she never imagined she voted for Donald Trump. A longtime Democratic voter from Philadelphia, White had faced a rough few years: the loss of her husband, job insecurity, and the daily challenges of raising her children in a struggling neighborhood hit hard by drugs and crime. Her tight budget once supported by pandemic relief now felt insufficient in the face of rising inflation and a stagnant economy.
“When Trump was in the chair, Black people was up,” White told reporters in front of a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop last September. “I want Trump back in the chair because I’ve been struggling ever since he’s been out.”
White was one of many voters across the country Black, Latino, young, and historically Democratic—who broke ranks in 2024 and backed Trump. Their support helped deliver him victories in key battleground states and even a popular vote win. But just eight months later, White’s opinion has shifted dramatically.
“I just see things rising. Nothing’s getting better,” she said during a recent interview at her home. “The economy is getting worse.”
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White’s disillusionment reflects a larger trend: a growing sense of regret among the very groups that fueled Trump’s return to the White House. Recent polling shows a steep decline in his support among Latino voters (down 13 percent), Black voters (down 9 percent), young voters (down 23 percent), independents (down 18), and moderates (down 15), according to data compiled by former political pollster Adam Carlson.
Trump’s 2024 campaign had gambled on attracting disaffected voters by focusing on inflation, immigration, and the economy. For a time, it worked. But now, his critics—many of whom were recent supporters say he’s failed to deliver. His controversial “Liberation Day” tariffs rattled the markets and drove up consumer prices, further fueling disappointment.
Low-engagement voters, who initially swung hard for Trump, have since soured just as rapidly. Data journalist G. Elliott Morris found that this group has moved over 30 points away from Trump since January. And according to the Pew Research Center, Trump’s support among voters who were not strong backers has dropped by 13 percentage points since February. His core base remains loyal, but his broader coalition is showing signs of collapse.
That discontent is evident in communities that helped power Trump’s win. In North Philadelphia, Jose, a retired Dominican American man who had voted Democrat most of his life, said he felt Trump had misled him.
“We voted for Trump and Trump betrayed us,” Jose said. He had hoped for stricter immigration enforcement and a stronger economy but instead sees rising prices and the deportation of hardworking immigrants. “He’s kicking out the people who work and leaving the ones who don’t. How does that make sense?”
Young voters are also expressing concern. Nikita, a senior at Drexel University and a first-time Trump voter, said he supported Trump’s immigration policies but now worries about the job market and economic stability. “I’m just hoping some of these tariffs are temporary,” he said.
Yet while many voters now regret backing Trump, they aren’t necessarily returning to the Democratic Party. Some, like White, say they’ve lost faith in politics altogether. “I feel like my vote don’t matter,” she said. “There was a time that Black people couldn’t vote. Women couldn’t vote. But now, I feel like my vote don’t matter.”
Others are still holding out hope that Trump can turn things around. College students interviewed in Philadelphia said they’re not ready to write him off entirely, even if they’re frustrated by his start.
The takeaway for both parties is clear: these disaffected voters were willing to switch sides in 2024 and they have the power to do it again. But so far, neither party seems to have secured their long-term loyalty.
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With the midterms on the horizon, Democrats can’t assume that Trump’s decline will translate into their gain. Polling shows voters still view the Democratic brand unfavorably, and the party’s struggle to connect with working-class, multiracial communities continues.
As the political landscape remains volatile, one thing is certain: voters like Sharita White, Jose, and Nikita will shape the outcome of future elections—if they choose to vote at all.
