11 Swing Voters Rate Trump's Performance: Only 2 Happy

In swing states across the United States, 11 voters tracked by the long-term reporting project Swing Shift have cast their ballots for the upcoming midterm elections. The group, monitored by NPR, provides a snapshot of the shifting political landscape in key districts. Their votes in 2026 illustrate the challenges the current administration faces in maintaining a unified base.

Of the 11 voters, only two reported being happy with President Trump's second term. Most described their feelings using words such as messy, divided, disarray, and scary. Their assessments of the president's performance closely align with recent national polling data, which indicate widespread dissatisfaction or underwhelming results regarding his leadership so far.

Gerald, a Georgia voter who supported Trump in 2024, remains firmly in the Republican camp. He gave the president an A+++ and voted early for Republican candidates Mike Collins for Senate and Rick Jackson for governor. Gerald described his ballot as red all the way down. He noted that he even wrote his own name in for an unopposed Democrat because he refused to give a Democrat his vote.

Wally, also a Georgia voter and 2024 Trump supporter, represents the fraying coalition. He has given the president an F in every check-in since March. Wally cited inflation as his top issue, though he expressed doubt that any single election could fix it. He voted for Democratic Senate incumbent Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, a decision he described as a vote against Trump and the MAGA movement.

Wally gave both Democrats and Republicans in Congress an F. He stated that he believes these people are essentially stealing money from the American public. He argued that the country needs wholesale change in this midterm election and a big change for the next presidential election.

Theresa, a Pennsylvania voter who backed former President Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024, gave the current president a C-. She pointed to the war in Iran as a major factor, noting that the administration said the conflict would last only a few weeks. She believed that prediction was incorrect. Lee, a Nevada voter who is one of the two happy with Trump's performance, gave him an A-. He acknowledged the war in Iran is taking longer than expected but improved his outlook on the economy after finding a new job.

Quintero, another Nevada voter who switched from Biden to Trump in 2024, is swinging back to Democrats for this year's midterms. This shift highlights a key challenge for Republicans: the Trump 2024 base is not supplying reliable votes for the party two years into the term. Despite Trump not being on the ballot, his policies serve as a referendum in these races.

In Pennsylvania, the Swing Shift voters are split. Three out of four voted for Trump in 2024. Currently, three of them plan to vote for Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, who is seeking re-election. Theresa said she is likely to stick with Shapiro because he is a politician they are familiar with. In the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, Stephen lives in the competitive Pennsylvania 1st Congressional District. He plans to re-elect Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick but will vote for Shapiro on top of the ticket.

John, a Philadelphia voter, chose the Republican candidate in the governor's race. He described the state of the country as anxious. He follows the news closely and predicts a lot of investigations, impeachment talk, and gridlock in Washington if Democrats win. He questioned whether the country can afford that outcome right now.