Finish this sentence: I feel “blank” about the way
the country is going these days. Finish this sentence:
I feel “blank” about the way the
country is going these days.
Rose, 65, Conn., white
Neil, 55, Pa., Latino
Cheryl, 66, Mo., white
“There’s a lot of social media saying: Hey, are you Republicans or MAGA people regretting your vote? And no, I’m not,” one participant told us in Opinion’s latest conversation with voters in our America in Focus series.
Across the 90-minute discussion, that was the consensus: President Trump was, whether each participant liked all of it or not, doing what he had promised. For the first time in quite a while, real change was taking place in America. That excited a lot of these 13 independent voters who supported Mr. Trump last November. Even if they could, none would go back and change their vote.
But there were also real worries: Many were unhappy with Elon Musk’s expansive presence in the White House. Two people used the word “shocking” to describe the pace of change so far.
The focus group met on the evening of April 8, just hours before the “Liberation Day” tariffs were set to go into effect, and many participants expressed real uneasiness and concern about the tariffs, the prospect of prices increasing or a possible recession. Tariffs had already affected a few members of the group. One woman worried Mr. Trump wasn’t being attentive to working-class people’s needs.
His vow that short-term pain would mean long-term gain resonated with a number of these voters, who envisioned better jobs and a more even playing field on the other side of the tariffs. As one participant said, “I had my eyes open when I voted for Trump that it was going to hurt.” But what does short-term pain look like? That’s the question everyone, including the participants in this group, is trying to answer.
Participants
Alyson 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
Angela 32, Michigan, biracial, assistant
Cheryl 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
Diana 39, California, Latina, finance manager
Edgar 68, Florida, Latino, retired
John 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
Jordan 38, Utah, white, homemaker
Mike 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
Neil 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
Rose 65, Connecticut, white, finance
Sid 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
Steven 57, Georgia, white, business
Walter 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
Transcript
Moderator, Margie Omero
Fill in the blank for me: I feel “blank” about the way the country is going these days.
John, 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
Bad.
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
Curious.
Alyson, 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
Pessimistic.
Neil, 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
Hopeful.
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
Hopeless.
Rose, 65, Connecticut, white, finance
Frustrated.
Angela, 32, Michigan, biracial, assistant
Faithful.
Edgar, 68, Florida, Latino, retired
Worried.
Mike, 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
Confused.
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
Cautiously optimistic.
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
Hopeful.
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
I feel hopeful as well.
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
Lied to.
Moderator, Margie Omero
People who said “hopeful,” tell me why.
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
I think a lot of changes have been happening the last few months. But I’m hoping that they are happening for the greater good. I’m optimistic.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What have you seen that’s made you feel hopeful?
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
I see action. For a good amount of years, we didn’t see anything. We didn’t know what was going on. And now, even though I might not agree with everything, I at least see things happening, movement happening.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Do you have something specific in mind?
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
The whole thing with the tariffs. I work in finance. I think in the short term, it’s a shot in the foot. But I think in the long term, it may be a great thing for the country. So I’m hopeful that this will improve our economy and manufacturing.
Angela, 32, Michigan, biracial, assistant
I feel like there’s a plan that’s been implemented. I’m just trusting the process.
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
I may not like everything that Trump is doing. But I will say that he is following through on the things that he actually did say he was going to do and exactly what the people who voted for him wanted.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Cheryl, you said “hopeless.”
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
The tariffs are killing the lower-class people. And he’s going back and forth. Is he going to go ahead and do a 90-day stop on the tariffs? He’s not quite sure. We did not have much to choose from this election, with Kamala Harris and Trump. But look what he’s doing to — I, myself, am on Social Security disability. I have to work because of the grocery cost. My rent went up $200. I love where I live. I don’t want to change, and I don’t want to ever go homeless. He’s doing what he said he’s doing, but does he realize who he’s hurting right now? Is he going to do anything for the lower class, middle class?
Moderator, Margie Omero
Mike, you said “confused.” About what?
Mike, 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
The tariffs that pretty much everybody agrees are going to raise the cost of goods and hurt the economy, but you say that you want to get the economy going. And then the back and forth with tariffs — tariffs, not tariffs. And then there’s the random blabber of: OK, Canada is going to be our 51st state, and we’re going to get Greenland if we have to use force. It just feels like you just never know which direction you’re supposed to be going.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Sid, you said, “lied to.”
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
I think we’re not only being lied to but we’re also being distracted by a lot of stuff. The tariff stuff, Greenland, Canada — that is confusing. I do agree with that. But I think it’s a distraction. I kind of feel like the Republicans and the Democrats in the upper-tier class of government are just having their own little private civil war without everybody.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Now, who’s doing the lying? When you say, “lied to,” who’s lying about what?
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
A majority of the Democrats are just doing a Hail Mary of lying about pretty much everything Trump’s doing, and the news has, too. I’ve seen Trump say and do and sign executive orders. I work the graveyard shift. So on YouTube, I’m watching this stuff live. They really started attacking him with the deportation stuff. And they said that he was caging people up and doing stuff like that. And they had live news coverage on that border, and nothing like that was happening. They were certainly deporting people. They really were. But they weren’t caging people up like they said that they were.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Rose, you said “frustrated.” Why?
Rose, 65, Connecticut, white, finance
Yes, because he did come through when he said that he was going to deport all the people that were here illegally. That I agree with, 100 percent. What I don’t agree with is the tariffs. I don’t think he’s going to be able to do what says. I don’t think he’s going to bring the prices down. If manufacturing does come back to this country, things are going to be more expensive to make, and that’s going to increase the prices.
Edgar, 68, Florida, Latino, retired
I said “worried” because I’m worried that the tariffs are going to create a recession. A lot of things that Trump is doing, he’s doing great, like deporting all those people from Tren de Aragua. He’s doing what he promised that he was going to do.
Neil, 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
Like I said before, I’m hopeful. He promised a lot of things, and he’s pushing and doing the things that he said he was going to do. There’s a lot of social media saying: Hey, are you Republicans or MAGA people regretting your vote? And no, I’m not. As far as I’m concerned, he’s not doing enough. He has to push more. He only has four years. He can’t come back.
Moderator, Margie Omero
I asked about the country, but what about for you personally?
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
Yeah, I’d say from a personal perspective, I’ve got a good anchor. So I don’t worry about much of anything in my life, to be honest with you. If I’m in the gutter, I’m in the gutter. If I’m up on the clouds, that’s fine, too. But I prefer to be somewhere in the middle because I don’t like to get too high or too low.
Alyson, 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
There’s just a lot of uneasiness right now, being in construction. The tariffs directly affect us with the price of steel and lumber. We get a lot of our lumber from Canada. We’ve noticed, since Trump has been on a whirlwind with stuff, people are just not wanting to spend money, not accepting our estimates. It directly affects us and our employees. It’s just a lot of stuff that’s keeping my husband and me up at night — for ourselves and people that work for us, too.
in the next six months? How do you think things will be in
the country in the next six months?
Angela,
32, Mich., biracial
Jordan,
38, Utah, white
Sid,
36, Ohio, white
Walter,
62, Mass., white
Alyson,
47, Wis., white
Cheryl,
66, Mo., white
Mike,
52, Nev., white
Diana,
39, Calif., Latina
Edgar,
68, Fla., Latino
John,
29, Texas, Black
Neil,
55, Pa., Latino
Steven,
57, Ga., white
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
There’s a lot of policy movement right now. It’s a lot — break things now, fix it later. And sometimes that’s the best kind of leader. Sometimes it’s not. I don’t think six months is long enough to reconcile what needs to happen. So I think it’s probably going to be 12 months and beyond before we see any meaningful change that might come from what’s going on today.
John, 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
I think it’s going to stay the same. We can’t really predict the future.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Walter, tell me why you think things will be better.
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
I’m trying to be cautiously optimistic. But it is going to take a while for all these policies to shake out and take effect. So maybe a six-month horizon isn’t quite long enough.
term so far?
Angela,
32, Mich., biracial
Neil,
55, Pa., Latino
Diana,
39, Calif., Latina
Edgar,
68, Fla., Latino
Jordan,
38, Utah, white
Sid,
36, Ohio, white
Walter,
62, Mass., white
Alyson,
47, Wis., white
Cheryl,
66, Mo., white
John,
29, Texas, Black
Mike,
52, Nev., white
Rose,
65, Conn., white
Steven,
57, Ga., white
Rose, 65, Connecticut, white, finance
I’d give him a C. Ever since the talk of tariffs, the stock market took a terrible tumble. I think we’re worse than before he took office. When he took office, because of all his promises, the stock market ran amok. I mean, it just flew. Now, because of the tariffs, everybody’s nervous. Nobody’s sure.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What else would people say about Trump’s term so far?
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
Elon Musk — what the heck? And why is he allowed in the White House? If Trump was left alone without Elon there, I think everything would be good. I really do. Some of the things he’s said and done and his actions just go beyond what you see in the government. I don’t think he’s government material at all. I don’t think he’s doing anything good.
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
I was concerned about Elon at first, too, but considering the fact that he’s just holding a lot of government officials accountable, that’s really good. And No. 2, Trump appointed Kash Patel as F.B.I. director. So if anybody is going to find out if Elon is doing something bad, it’s going to be that guy, and he’s going to slam him.
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
Elon feels like an unstable presence in the government that I don’t like. I didn’t vote for Elon Musk. I voted for Donald Trump. And he is personally benefiting more off of this process than he should be. He should not be benefiting at all. He’s working for the government. I am hopeful, though, that Trump will eventually see that this is not good for him.
Elon Musk’s influence?
Alyson,
47, Wis., white
Cheryl,
66, Mo., white
Edgar,
68, Fla., Latino
Jordan,
38, Utah, white
Steven,
57, Ga., white
Neil,
55, Pa., Latino
Angela,
32, Mich., biracial
Diana,
39, Calif., Latina
John,
29, Texas, Black
Sid,
36, Ohio, white
Walter,
62, Mass., white
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
I said he had the right amount of influence. He’s actually going to leave DOGE in a few weeks. I heard about it. I didn’t see any sort of abuse of power on his end. He’s doing what he needs to do. He’s auditing those agencies.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
Think back to last fall. How does Trump’s term so far compare with how you thought the term would go?
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
It’s exactly what I expected.
Alyson, 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
It’s just the speed of it. Everything all at once — I thought it was going to be over the course of his term, not all this thrown at us in the first 100 days. It’s just a little shocking.
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
You never know what you’re going to get with Trump. You never know. And the tariffs, that’s a little bit too strong when we’ve got all these other issues we need help with. The economy, climate change, flooding, drugs, gun control. He needs to put a cap on all those first.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
Trump was president before. Is there anything that seems really different from the first term?
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
I think in his first term, he was learning how to be president. Didn’t know what the job entailed.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
A lot of people are nodding.
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
He had a lot of people surrounding him who turned out — I mean, he talks about loyalty being important to him. I don’t think they should be loyal to him. They should be loyal to the Constitution. But he’s learned his lesson from all the leaks that happened during the last administration, his first time around. He’s got people that he really trusts now. He picked his own people. I think he’s getting advice from outside the government. And that’s why things are going so fast. The government grinds slow. I worked at the post office. Believe me, the wheels grind slow.
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
I think people forget that he’s only got four years. I’m concerned about some of the things people are bringing up, but he’s only got so much time before he’s out of there. Trump is definitely doing as much as he can with what he has, and he’s making the right decisions. He’s just a lot more confident in his second term.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
Is there a promise that anybody feels you’re really glad that Trump’s keeping right now or any promise that you feel was broken or hasn’t been upheld yet?
Edgar, 68, Florida, Latino, retired
He’s kept his promise about the border. The border was wide open, and he closed it down.
John, 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
I think he’s doing everything he’s promised, everything he said. His second term is definitely more about power, loyalty. He’s now hooked in the game.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
And are you happy about that, or do you have mixed feelings or feel disappointed about anything?
John, 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
Yeah, I’m happy about that. Although these are some hard decisions — a couple of friends that have been deported, stuff like that. So I’m sad at the same time.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
If you could tell Trump to either start doing something or stop doing something, is there anything that comes to mind?
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
Stay the course. I obviously mostly agree with what he’s doing. Not surprised by this presidency at all. The man works nonstop. I think the No. 1 thing that Trump needs to really focus on is private equity firms. BlackRock literally is trying to buy the Panama Canal. That is concerning to me on so many levels. They own half the country.
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
He did campaign on a foundation of trying to bring the country together. And he hasn’t tried to do that at all. So if there’s one thing I would want him to do: Have some grace and be a bit of a diplomat and show people that you care about them.
Moderator, Margie Omero
How likely do you think he is to do that, Steven?
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
He’s too much the persona that he built when he was on “The Apprentice.” He wants people to be scared of him. He’s a master manipulator. And he’s an extreme narcissist.
Neil, 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
We have a bull loose in a china shop, and that’s exactly what we voted for. I have no regrets, whatsoever. As far as I’m concerned, burn the damn place down to the ground because everything is so corrupt, left and right. He’s not going to fix it in four years. He has to start the big process of ripping everything apart, and somebody else is going to have to fix it for the next four, eight, 12, 20 years. But we had to start somewhere.
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
We didn’t have much to pick from for presidential candidates.
Moderator, Margie Omero
I want to get your reaction to a few names. What comes to mind when I say JD Vance?
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
He’s fine. He seems like a level-headed, brave, loyal man. And look at his upbringing, what he’s come from.
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
He’s honest. Back when East Palestine happened and that train derailment happened, he was on the news everywhere trying to get the word spread. He definitely tried. He was there.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What do you think of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
I like him. I hope that he really follows through on his promises and makes America healthy again and improves the quality of food in schools.
Rose, 65, Connecticut, white, finance
I feel a little bit conflicted, only because I feel that we don’t need a lot of the medications that are out there. But at the same time, there is a need for certain other medications. I do believe that some of these vaccines are important and some are not. I think he needs to move a little bit more toward the middle to get it right. But he’s too far out right now, and I don’t think he has all the information.
Alyson, 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
I don’t understand if he’s qualified to be speaking on this pedestal and talking about these important medical situations with vaccines.
Mike, 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
I don’t know that I feel like he knows enough to be doing what he’s doing.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What comes to mind when I say Bernie Sanders?
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
Intelligent.
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
Communist. I don’t like him.
Edgar, 68, Florida, Latino, retired
I think he’s a hypocrite. He’s been talking about the rich people this and the rich people that and he’s fighting for the poor people. But he’s a millionaire himself.
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
My general impression of him is everything’s dramatized. And I think that just suits his messaging that he wants to put out, to get everyone worked up over a specific topic that he doesn’t agree with to try and win people to his side.
Moderator, Margie Omero
I want to talk through a few different topics. Let’s start by going back to tariffs. I heard a couple of people say this tonight, something like: Short-term pain will lead to long-term gain.
Does the idea of “short-term pain for
long-term gain” resonate with you? Does the idea of “short-term
pain for long-term gain” resonate
with you? 7 people raised their hands.
Alyson, 47, Wis., white
Angela, 32, Mich., biracial
Cheryl, 66, Mo., white
Diana, 39, Calif., Latina
Edgar, 68, Fla., Latino
John, 29, Texas, Black
Jordan, 38, Utah, white
Mike, 52, Nev., white
Neil, 55, Pa., Latino
Rose, 65, Conn., white
Sid, 36, Ohio, white
Steven, 57, Ga., white
Walter, 62, Mass., white
Moderator, Margie Omero
What about the people who don’t see the appeal of short-term pain?
Mike, 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
How do I say it? I don’t know that it’s going to bring a long-term gain, because I do agree that if you bring back manufacturing jobs and you’re going to pay people $20 an hour, well, the cost of those goods is going to go up. So you’re not going to bring the cost down.
Moderator, Margie Omero
For the people who say they’re prepared for short-term pain for long-term gain, what do you have in mind? What would be short term? What would be too long?
John, 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
I’m in construction. And the price of lumber and the price of steel are going up, like Alyson said earlier. We do face higher production costs due to the tariffs.
Moderator, Margie Omero
So how long do you think that short-term pain would work for you, before you say, “This doesn’t feel short term anymore”?
John, 29, Texas, Black, construction manager
A few months. Not going to be years.
Neil, 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
The whole point of having tariffs is to even out the playing field. I want the Ford plants in Mexico shut down and all those jobs brought over here. How long is it going to take Ford to build an entire building to bring those plants up? It’s not going to be overnight or even a couple of months. It’s going to take a while, probably a couple of years.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Would that still feel short term for you?
Neil, 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
We’ve been taken advantage of by the entire planet since after World War II. So it takes as long as it takes. It’s for the good of the country. If whatever happens happens, that’s what it is.
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
I would be in the camp of one to two years of whatever pain you’re talking about, quite frankly, if it’s going to fix what’s been wrong. It could be the next two presidents that have to carry this through. If we keep changing between Democrats and Republicans, this may never take off. But I’m thinking two years of pain we may be in for. Maybe the second half of Trump’s presidency will start to bear some fruit.
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
I think a couple of years as well. The economy doesn’t change overnight. Within five to 10 years, I think we’re going to see real difference. But if we keep switching back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, that might stall. I think anything between two years on a short term and, long term, five to 10 years for us to really see change and improvements.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What does that pain feel like or look like? Does that mean costs go up? What percent increase in cost would you be OK with, if we were talking about groceries, rent, gas? What percent more would you be willing to pay for that?
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
Well, it’s a hard one. Maybe 5 percent, 10 percent? Just kind of depends. It’s not going to get fixed overnight. It’s not even going to get fixed in four years of Trump. It’s going to hurt extremely hard before we get through on the other side. I had my eyes open when I voted for Trump, that it was going to hurt.
Moderator, Margie Omero
So what happens on the other side? When you get there, what’s it going to be like?
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
Hopefully, just a more even playing field for everybody in the country, not just the rich and not just the super poor. Everybody.
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
Even slate, yeah.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Angela, what do you think? Short-term pain?
Angela, 32, Michigan, biracial, assistant
People say the recession this, recession that. But people are still dining out and eating like they normally would and sometimes even accumulating credit card debt. So when I think of the recession, I think of the Great Depression, where people didn’t complain about buying eggs for $6 or $7. If this is what America calls a recession, I mean, it just doesn’t feel like that. If eggs cost too much, then I just simply won’t buy them. I’m not entitled to eat certain things because that’s what I want to eat for breakfast.
Moderator, Margie Omero
What’s the percent where you feel like, “That’s a percent that I’d be willing to pay for this short-term pain”?
Angela, 32, Michigan, biracial, assistant
I would say probably 3 percent or 4 percent.
Moderator, Margie Omero
And what happens on the other side of these tariffs?
Angela, 32, Michigan, biracial, assistant
More of an even playing field, people actually respecting America again. But beforehand, we had a lot of things in America made in America.
Alyson, 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
I mean, I guess I’m there already with the pain and just the unknown, week to week, definitely month to month. And just our business and keeping the doors open and being able to have our employees support their families. I guess it’s just too heavy. It’s just hitting all at once.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Now, folks, when I asked, what’s the percent that people are willing to pay, people were saying 5 percent, a few percent. Some of these tariffs are 20 percent, 25 percent or more. How many people say 25 percent is a price that makes sense as a short-term pain for a long-term gain? [No one raised a hand.]
Moderator, Katherine Miller
We’ve talked a bit about Elon Musk tonight. What do you think the impact of the government cuts will be?
Sid, 36, Ohio, white, warehouse supervisor
I think it’s going to be good that the government is held accountable for what they’re using their money on and using our tax dollars on. I think that’s good, as long as it’s being done appropriately, like it has been so far.
Mike, 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
We can’t keep having trillions of dollars in debt and just keep raising the debt ceiling. Spending less than what you make, because that’s what we have to do as people, the government needs to learn how to do that.
Rose, 65, Connecticut, white, finance
Elon’s a very brilliant man. It’s not his fault that he’s so involved. It’s Donald Trump that gave him the go-ahead. They don’t have the compassion or the finesse to really run the country in the politician way of doing it. They have the business aspect of running a country. I don’t know if you could run a country the way you could run a business.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Here are two statements. 1: It’s better to take bold action and make needed cuts to government, even if some important things are cut in the process. 2: We should be cutting the government in a deliberate way so things like medical research and airline and food safety don’t get cut.
Angela,
32, Mich., biracial
Cheryl,
66, Mo., white
Edgar,
68, Fla., Latino
Mike,
52, Nev., white
Neil,
55, Pa., Latino
Alyson,
47, Wis., white
Diana,
39, Calif., Latina
Jordan,
38, Utah, white
Sid,
36, Ohio, white
Steven,
57, Ga., white
Walter,
62, Mass., white
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
What’s important to someone else in this talk might not be important to me, and vice versa. So you have to prioritize. Someone has to make a decision, and everybody has to deal with that decision.
Mike, 52, Nevada, white, ride-share driver
I don’t think you can do deliberate cuts and ever get anywhere, because there’s always going to be somebody that is going to say: Well, no, you can’t cut that. You’re going to have to go in and just take the chain saw.
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
I said 2, but Mike made a hell of a point there that you can’t please everybody.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Is there anything that people are concerned about that’s getting cut, that you’re worried about?
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
I don’t know what’s getting cut yet. I think that remains to be seen. I don’t think they even know what they’ve cut because they’re rehiring people where they’re cutting actively. So it shows that they’re breaking things they didn’t know they broke, and they’re having to refix them immediately.
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
The idea of airline regulations and medical research and things like that being affected — it makes me uneasy. But like everyone has pointed out, we can’t be deliberate at this point. We have let this go on for way too long to be able to be deliberate at this point. We don’t have that luxury anymore.
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
It’s hard. My issue is the Democrats and the media push back so hard that if you don’t make a bold statement, it might not work. But at the same time, I think things need to be thought through and done in an orderly manner. I don’t know. I’m kind of on the fence. It’s hard.
Moderator, Katherine Miller
Congress may cut Medicaid this year. Does anybody have strong opinions about that?
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
I was going to say when politicians talk about cuts, they mean instead of a 5 percent raise next year, they’re only going to get a 2 percent raise. But I feel there’s a lot of inefficiency. I really think when the inefficiencies are wrung out of the system, it’s going to be to the benefit of the people who are on Medicaid.
Edgar, 68, Florida, Latino, retired
What I’m afraid of about the cuts for Medicaid are the children that are dependent on Medicaid — not the adults but the kids who might be the ones to suffer from the cuts to the Medicaid system.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Does anybody say that they’re concerned or have questions about Social Security?
Neil, 55, Pennsylvania, Latino, restaurant manager
I’m worried about it still being there for future generations. I’m not really worried about me or anything, but the kids and stuff. I think they’re going to run out.
Rose, 65, Connecticut, white, finance
I’m not so worried about Social Security. Donald Trump made it a point that he was not going to cut Social Security. And yet he also said that he was going to remove the taxes on Social Security. So Social Security should not be an issue.
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
Who votes? People who are on Social Security or who are eligible for it, they vote. Politicians react to who votes for them. So that’s why I think it’s not in danger. Or they’ll find a fix for it.
Jordan, 38, Utah, white, homemaker
I don’t think that they’re going to touch Social Security. I really don’t think they’re that stupid.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Is there one thing that you know now that you wish you knew when you voted in this election in 2024?
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
Yes, that Elon Musk was going to have as much authority as he does.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Would you have voted differently if you knew that then?
Cheryl, 66, Missouri, white, ride-share driver
No, I wouldn’t. I hate to say, no, I’m stuck. But no, I wouldn’t because Kamala Harris, I’m sorry, she was a joke.
Steven, 57, Georgia, white, business
It probably would have been nice to have seen the first-100-days plan sketched out. But I don’t know that any president would be stupid enough to pigeonhole themselves with releasing that. So the truth is, it wouldn’t have changed my vote. I think almost everybody at this point would have loved to have seen this whole fire drill around the deportations, the tariffs, everything mapped out from a time-frame perspective so it wouldn’t have been, maybe, so shocking.
Alyson, 47, Wisconsin, white, business owner
Yeah, I guess pretty much the same, Steven, just the speed of everything, to be a little bit more prepared, to be able to react and plan a little bit.
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
He only has four years, but I think the whole tariff thing could have been a little bit more thought through. I think it’s too fast, too soon. But everything else — I’m really happy. It’s exciting to see changes happening.
Moderator, Margie Omero
Does anybody say: If I had to go back, I would have voted differently?
Diana, 39, California, Latina, finance manager
There’s nothing that would have made me vote for Kamala Harris.
Walter, 62, Massachusetts, white, retired
No.