A Trump supporter, Paul Bisson, expressed frustration with the chaotic start to President Donald Trump’s second term, telling the Wall Street Journal, “I don’t like chaos,” and noting that the unfolding events were not what Trump’s supporters had anticipated.
The early weeks of Trump’s second term have been marked by a series of successful cabinet appointments, an aggressive use of executive power, and a high-stakes standoff with the stock market over tariffs.
However, this approach has left many of Trump’s supporters, particularly consumers, feeling disillusioned. New data and interviews with Trump voters, as reported by WSJ’s Rachel Wolfe and Joe Pinsker, reveal significant signs of dissatisfaction among those who backed the president.
Consumer confidence dropped by roughly 5% in the University of Michigan’s early February consumer survey, hitting its lowest level since July 2024. Expectations for inflation over the next year surged from 3.3% in January to 4.3%, marking the second consecutive month of significant increases and the highest figure since November 2023.
Joanne Hsu, who oversees the survey, noted that “a full percentage point jump in inflation expectations is very rare.” She added that Republicans, who had experienced a post-election boost in confidence, now seem to be reassessing their views. Democrats and Independents also appear to believe that the economy has worsened since the previous month.
Morning Consult’s consumer confidence index also dropped between January 25 and February 3, largely due to growing concerns about the nation’s economic future.
“I don’t like the turbulence. I don’t like the chaos in the market,” said Paul Bisson, a 58-year-old proposal writer for a flight safety company and co-owner of a dog daycare in San Antonio. A Trump supporter, Bisson feels that “his policies have contributed to that chaos.”
Bisson, who hopes to retire soon, is worried that Trump’s tariff threats could make that difficult, especially if the president follows through with them instead of using them as a negotiating strategy.
“If that happens, the economy will get worse, and that’s not what we signed up for,” Bisson said. “We’ve already cut back. There’s nothing left to trim.”
