The Great MAGA Delusion

𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱'𝘴 2025 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘌𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴.

𝗢𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻: Bruce Alpine.

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ince Donald Trump's second inauguration on January 20, 2025, polling data shows a clear and growing perception among Americans that his term has been deceptive—promising broad economic relief and an “America First” agenda for working families, yet delivering policies widely seen as favoring billionaire allies and major MAGA donors.

December 21, 2025 poll says the majority of Americans believe Trumps policies favor the rich. CBS News

Trump’s job approval has steadily declined. 

Early 2025 aggregates (Real Clear Politics, Ballotpedia) placed it at 45–47%.

By early 2026, major trackers report: Pew at 37%, The Economist at 38% (net approval –18), Fox News at 44%, and Gallup’s December 2025 reading at 36%—the lowest first-year mark for any president since 1977.

Pew’s January 2026 survey found 50% of Americans saying Trump’s actions have been “worse than expected” (up from earlier months), versus just 21% saying “better.” 

CNN/SSRS polls show 58% calling his first year a “failure,” while Fox News found 54% believe the country is worse off than before his term began. 

Economic frustration is central: Reuters/Ipsos surveys indicate 70% view the economy negatively, with persistent complaints about inflation, health-care costs, and affordability.

This disillusionment is amplified by the widespread belief that Trump’s presidency prioritizes wealthy donors and billionaire friends over ordinary citizens. 

A February 2025 Pew survey showed 70% expected corporations and 65% expected wealthy individuals to gain more influence under Trump (with Democrats at 82–87%). 

By December 2025, CBS/YouGov reported 65% of Americans believed his policies mainly benefit the rich—up 10 points from spring—while only 1% said they help the poor. 

An AP-NORC poll found 60% viewed heavy reliance on billionaires as bad for the country. 

High-profile examples—tech moguls like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg receiving prime inauguration access and influencing policy on deregulation, Ai, and federal contracts—have reinforced this view. 

Musk’s reported $200 million+ in campaign support and frequent White House engagement with CEOs have led many to describe the administration as an “oligarchy.” 

A Washington Post-Ipsos survey showed most Americans hold negative views of billionaire election spending, noting over 80% of top donor money flowed to Republicans. 

Ex US president Barack Obama retains his position as most preferred POTUS among US voters. US Polling Agregates.

Specific policies have deepened the perception: polls show 74% believe tariffs primarily help the wealthy and corporations, while nearly two-thirds in AP-NORC surveys thought major legislative packages favored the rich. 

These findings contrast sharply with Trump’s 2024 campaign rhetoric of fighting for forgotten workers and middle-class families. 

Policy support has collapsed to just 27% (Pew), and key 2024 voter groups—young voters, nonwhite voters, and lower-turnout demographics—have shown significant regret (NYT/Siena). 

While Trump retains strong loyalty from his core base (40–50% of Republicans, with approval often 70–85% among self-identified MAGA supporters), the broader public trend is unmistakable: majorities now disapprove, economic pain persists, and a growing number see the term as built on unkept promises that mask benefits for elites.

The data suggests this sense of deception is intensifying, especially among independents and moderates. 

While rebounds are possible if economic conditions improve, current polls point to a majority awakening to a presidency that appears to serve the donor class more than the average American.

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