Those close to Donald Trump are increasingly concerned that the president is neglecting the needs of his MAGA base during his second term in favor of frivolous or controversial pursuits.
A damning feature in The Atlantic describes how the 79-year-old Trump has become more isolated in office, drastically reducing domestic travel, and appears out of touch with what voters want from his presidency.
“People voted for him to lower prices, to bring manufacturing back, to stand up to those taking advantage of them,” a close Trump ally told the magazine. “They didn’t vote for him to build a damn gilded ballroom. He’s not hearing them.”
There is reportedly growing fear among Republicans and within the White House that Trump is not only ignoring the concerns of the voters who elected him, but actively dismissing them.
These worries come as multiple polls show Trump hitting all-time low approval ratings, with backlash to the president expected to severely damage the GOP in next year’s crucial midterm elections.
Trump has frequently dismissed suggestions that a cost-of-living crisis is affecting tens of millions of Americans, even claiming that polling showing economic anxiety is “fake.”
Rather than address these issues, he has instead torn down the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom for lavish events at an estimated cost that has ballooned to $300 million.
Republicans note that other priorities in Trump’s second term—such as the floundering pursuit of indictments against political rivals and threatening military action against Venezuela—are also entirely at odds with what voters want.
The Atlantic suggests that one reason Trump is increasingly disconnected from voters is that he is no longer meeting them in person. The president has significantly limited domestic trips, often opting instead for international travel, and has reduced the “bombastic” large-scale rallies that once defined his political brand to practically zero.
This fall, he has appeared publicly outside the Washington, D.C., area, his New Jersey golf club, or Mar-a-Lago in Florida, only five times—three of which were to watch sporting events in New York.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Trump’s second term has seen a 39 percent reduction in official appearances—from 1,688 in the first ten months of his first term to 1,029 this year—as concerns continue about his mental and physical health.
The Atlantic further speculated that the president may be avoiding U.S. public events because “the last thing Trump wanted” was to face questions from voters about his ties to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement to The Atlantic, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s focus remains on “securing deals for Americans back home,” even during overseas travel. She added that the president plans to “be out there actively campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of their victories in the midterms next fall.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for further comment.
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