Regrets, some Trump voters have a few, according to a UMass poll

Boston Globe

15-04-2025

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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
Several weeks ago, I started to notice a pattern: people expressing regret for voting for Donald Trump.
There was the Hispanic man in Virginia who says he was handcuffed by armed ICE agents even as
But these were anecdotes, not hard data. Luckily, another person who noticed the pattern was Tatishe Nteta, a political scientist who directs the UMass Amherst Poll. 'There's been a lot of discussion of regretful voters,' he said. 'So we thought, 'Well, what does that actually look like?''
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Nteta
The results
Many of us find it hard to admit our mistakes. So it's striking that 19 percent of the 2024 Trump voters Nteta surveyed now say that they 'have some concerns' about their vote choice. 'Two in 10 is a large percentage to express some level of concern about a decision that they made no more than six or seven months ago,' said Nteta, who conducted the poll with the survey company
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As you can see in the chart below, another 5 percent of Trump voters admit to 'mixed feelings' or 'some regrets.' A further 3 percent say they wouldn't vote for him today.
Daigo Fujiwara-Smith/Globe Staff
Trump's words and actions so far have also unnerved some supporters. About 15 percent fear he won't respect the rule of law and will seek a third term, and 18 percent worry he'll defy a court order or start a war. And while there are few polls to go on, the discontent may be growing. In February,
Revealed preferences
Nteta's survey found other signs that Americans are souring on Trump. His job approval rating
Americans express particular frustration with Trump on the economy, as several other polls
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Will Democrats benefit?
Maybe not automatically. Consistent with other surveys, Nteta's found the Democratic Party with an approval rating lower than the GOP's despite Trump's unpopularity. And although relatively few Kamala Harris voters feel conflicted about having supported her, 14 percent wish they hadn't voted at all — evidence of Democratic dejection.
'Not having your preferred candidate win leads a number of people to say, 'My vote was wasted,'' Nteta said. 'I don't necessarily think these are results which the Democratic Party should be championing.'
Still, the remorseful Trump supporters in Nteta's poll — and the 12 percent of respondents who didn't vote last year who now say they'd support Harris — are a chance for Democrats to recover lost ground. 'These types of results provide a window for the ways in which they can mobilize the necessary support to be victorious in 2026 and to be victorious, potentially, in 2028,' Nteta said.
Can he recover?
Trump has opportunities, too. His supporters are famously loyal, and the vast majority remain happy with their choice. Trump's approval rating is higher than it was
Most respondents also remain hopeful that Trump will help ordinary Americans and strengthen the economy. 'As Americans, we envision our leaders, regardless of their partisanship or their ideology, to be working with the best interests of the nation in mind,' Nteta said. 'But at the same time, objective assessments by many Americans question whether or not those hopes will be realized.'
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🧩 6 Across:
| ☂️ 67°
POINTS OF INTEREST
Boston and Massachusetts
Protecting patients:
Allegations against a former Brigham doctor have prompted new legislation to guard against
Priced out:
Greater Boston's housing market
Privacy issue:
A bill would protect the personal information of people who receive or administer
Take a ride:
The state will
Sit out:
Boston University suspended the campus chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America
Trump administration
Rümeysa Öztürk:
A judge weighing the case of the Tufts PhD student in ICE custody questioned whether the administration
Retrenching:
The White House proposed halving the State Department's budget and eliminating US funding for the UN and NATO headquarters. (
Conundrum:
Trump says tariffs will encourage local manufacturing. But some Massachusetts companies import from abroad
Program end:
The administration reportedly
Brain drain:
MIT's president said the administration had
Fumble:
Vice President JD Vance dropped the trophy at a White House event honoring Ohio State football's national championship. (
The Nation and the World
Pennsylvania arson case:
The man who allegedly set fire to Governor Josh Shapiro's home on Sunday told police he hated Shapiro and planned to beat him with a hammer. (
Back home:
Blue Origin's all-female spaceflight lasted about 10 minutes. Katy Perry sang in space. (
Pill pulled:
Pfizer ended development of an experimental weight loss pill because it may have injured a trial patient's liver. (
First Amendment case:
Opening statements are set for today in Sarah Palin's retrial against the New York Times for libel. (
Trans rights:
Hungary's ruling party passed a constitutional amendment that states that there are only two genders. (
BESIDE THE POINT
By Teresa Hanafin
🌸
Flowerfest:
It's time to get out to see Boston's abundance of cherry blossoms, magnolias, and other blooms as the city welcomes spring and
🧨
The state where it happened:
Massachusetts, birthplace of the American Revolution, is celebrating the 250th anniversary with events all week leading up to Patriots Day on Monday. (
🥣
Waste not:
Milk Street suggests you make the most of your leftovers with some
⛴️
Ferry McFerryface:
The MBTA is adding three ferries from Boston to Quincy, Winthrop, and Lynn, and they want kids in grades K-8 in those four cities to name them. There are prizes. (
🌎
A world of hope:
Can we rein in climate change before it waxes out of control, at least enough to give us time to adapt? Writer Alan Weisman says:
🍺
Bottoms up:
It may not be the best solution to post-exercise hydration, but several local breweries are
🕹️
Where's the Pong movie?
With the success of 'Minecraft' last weekend, adaptations of video games could replace superhero films as box office gold. (
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🌅
Bright lights:
A geomagnetic storm tonight could be strong enough for more New Englanders to
💍
The Big Day:
Both had lost a parent who was the glue that held their families together.
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