Nearly two years after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris to win back the White House, some of the voters who helped put him there are having second thoughts.
A new University of Massachusetts Amherst/YouGov poll found that 16% of Trump voters say they would change their 2024 vote if given the chance. An even larger share, 21%, said they now have second thoughts about supporting the president.
The findings come as Trump's approval ratings remain underwater in multiple national surveys and amid concerns over the economy, rising prices and the ongoing war in Iran.
Why it matters
The poll, released Aug. 31, found that 57% of respondents believe Trump has performed worse than they expected since returning to office in 2025. The survey also showed Trump's approval
rating at 32%, down one percentage point from the university's previous poll in April.
The results were released the same day a Reuters/Ipsos survey found Trump's job approval rating holding at 33% for a third straight week, marking his lowest rating in that poll since returning to office.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst/YouGov survey polled 1,000 respondents from Aug. 21-26 and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
Iran, inflation weigh on voters
The survey suggests voters remain frustrated by several issues facing the administration, particularly the ongoing conflict with Iran and rising consumer costs.
Only 26% of respondents said they approve of the war in Iran, and roughly 1 in 4 said they believe the United States is winning the conflict.
"With no end in sight to the ongoing war in Iran, the continued rise in the price of gas, groceries, utilities, and housing, an escalating trade war with Canada, and the likelihood of higher interest rates, it comes as no surprise that Trump's approval rating remains at a paltry 32%,"Tatishe Nteta, director of the UMass Amherst Poll, said in a news release.
According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas stood at $4.12 on Sept. 2, up 3 cents from a month earlier and nearly $1 higher than a year ago.
What do polling averages show?
While individual polls vary, major polling averages continue to show Trump in negative territory overall:
- RealClearPolitics (Sept. 1): 39.9% approve, 56.6% disapprove
- New York Times (Sept. 1): 38% approve, 58% disapprove
- Silver Bulletin (Sept. 1): 38.2% approve, 58% disapprove
USA TODAY’s Kinsey Crowley contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 1 in 6 Trump voters would change their 2024 vote, poll finds
