In Michigan's Wayne County, voters weigh in on Trump's first 100 days in office

Yahoo

30-04-2025

If you ask Wayne County residents, they'll tell you President Donald Trump's first 100 days back in the White House have ranged from "turbulent" to "strong" to "evil."
Last year, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris outpaced Trump, 62% to 33% in Wayne County. Home to Detroit and Michigan's most populous county, Wayne County is a hub for Democratic votes. But Republicans have made concerted efforts in the region — Trump campaigned multiple times in Detroit last year, and made stops in Dearborn and Hamtramck to appeal to Arab American and Muslim voters.
The Detroit Free Press, Lansing State Journal and Center for Community Journalism - Michigan spoke with voters in the region as part of a project interviewing more than 100 Michiganders about Trump's first 100 days.
Natasha Blakely, 30, of Hamtramck, is a Democrat who leans progressive and she has a long list of concerns. For one, she's horrified by the Trump administration's "weird fixation" on transgender people's rights. For another, the back-and-forth on tariffs has "wreaked havoc" on everybody's lives and the economy, she said. Asked how she feels about the next four years of President Donald Trump, Blakely said she doesn't feel good about it but still remains hopeful.
A number of friends want to leave the country and she has thought about it, too, but she doesn't think that's the right move. "I don't think that's a long-term solution and it's not practical anyway for people to just leave en masse but I get the desire to just leave for somewhere that might feel better but, ultimately, I'm not somebody who likes to give up," Blakely said.
— Nushrat Rahman
Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council in Dearborn, voted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in the November election. A Palestinian immigrant, Hamad said he was concerned about the Biden administration's support for Israel, with money and weapons, as it launched attacks against Palestinians and others.
Vice President Kamala Harris, running on the presidential Democratic ticket, lost in many of the heavily-Arab precincts in Wayne County. "We felt that we don't want our vote to go to waste, and we chose to support third party, even if it indirectly helped the election of President (Donald) Trump," Hamad explained.
Now, Hamad is concerned about some of Trump's actions, such as targeting immigrants with pro-Palestinian views, but he adds that this type of targeting is not new. "These are the most interesting and challenging 100 days ever in the history of presidential administrations," he said. There is "a state of fear and anxiety" creating "chilling effects" among immigrants, he added. "The Constitution is on trial."
— Niraj Warikoo
David Hardin Jr., 51, is the owner of a Detroit barbershop in Detroit's West Village, where he also lives. Hardin typically votes Democratic and he had a Kamala Harris campaign sign posted in his shop throughout the election season. In a word, Hardin described the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term as "unconstitutional," and then he went on to describe a feeling of powerlessness.
"What's frustrating is that now everything is out of the hands of the voters. Even the Republicans that aren't with what he is doing are standing quiet. They need to speak up so it can't be done. If you stand mute, you might as well be with what he's doing." Hardin's examples of "unconstitutional" actions taken by Trump include "deporting people without due process" and the "attack on the Department of Education."
— Scott Talley
Steve Kerr, 66, of Canton, is a retiree who is concerned about a collection of actions by the Trump administration, including tariffs on the nation's allies and the influence of billionaire Elon Musk. "My daughter is a lawyer in California. She's ready to leave this country because of him and what he's doing to our nation," Kerr said.
— Jalen Williams
Kate Mason, 37, of Hamtramck, is a Democrat disappointed with her party at the state and national levels. Mason described the Trump administration as a "dumpster fire" that's "dismantling democracy right in front of us."
"The destruction of so many people's lives for no reason other than just sheer malice and hatred is staggering," she said, pointing to cuts to the federal workforce and the move to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador.
She said she's worried, scared and furious about the prospect of another four years of President Donald Trump. She feels a "deep sense of despair and sadness" but her work for a statewide grassroots nonprofit helps her channel her worries. Political leaders on the left are not meeting the moment, she said. When Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris lost in November, Mason said she was shocked but not surprised.
"We're gonna have to do a reckoning on the left and figure out how we come back from this," Mason said.
— Nushrat Rahman
Curtis White, 78, a Vietnam War veteran from Detroit, marched down Woodward Avenue on April 5 as part of 'Hands Off' protests held in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies. He said he's worried about veteran benefits and programs being defunded and shut down. He said he doesn't align with a party but uses his discretion each election.
'We (veterans) are concerned about what's going to happen with our benefits, the veterans who are homeless and the veterans who need so many other things," he said. "All the things that have supposedly been shut down, there are people concerned about that and I am among those people concerned about that. … It seems like everything is on a downward spiral.'
— Natalie Davies
Ashley Lawrence, 36, of Inkster, works on the cleaning crew at the Macy's store at Southland Center in Taylor and is a caregiver for a girl with autism. In the last election, she said she wrote in Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' name for president.
She described President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office as "scary."
'I've been seeing like some crazy things happening with planes and stuff that I wasn't seeing before,' Lawrence said, adding that she wishes there were fewer fights and less finger-pointing in politics and more 'respect and willingness to help the people who really need the help.'
She said she opposes mass deportations but agrees with Trump's opposition to LGBTQ+ and transgender rights.
"That might be one thing he got right,' Lawrence said.
'We've just got to see what's gonna happen at this point and just pray because, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who the president is. God is in charge.'
— Kristen Jordan Shamus
Jay Carter, 49, of Taylor, voted for President Donald Trump in the November election.
"I'm optimistic,' said Carter, who oversees laundry services at the Red Roof Inn Ann Arbor North. In his view, the president's first 100 days in office are going 'extremely well.'
'I like what I'm seeing economically so far. … Prices are a little high but as someone who took an economics course, I understand that when you start imposing tariffs … it's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm willing to wait six months to a year because I know these things do take time.'
Carter said he isn't fond of the confrontational tact Trump has taken with Canadian leaders.
'The whole Canada as the 51st state bit was funny at first but, to me, it comes off as antagonistic,' he said. 'I have no problem with the Canadian people. … I'm not a fan of their government but I don't conflate the government of Canada with the people of Canada.'
Carter said he'd love to see the president's economic policies put more money in the pockets of all Americans — 'it doesn't matter how they voted. And I would like to see a lot less … divisive rhetoric on both sides of the aisle because, I'm going to be totally honest here, as a citizen I'm a little tired of seeing that."
— Kristen Jordan Shamus
Majed Moughni, 54, a Dearborn attorney, voted for an independent candidate, Cornel West, in the November election due to concern over deaths in Gaza and Lebanon. Moughni's views were echoed by many in Dearborn, which has the highest percentage of residents of Middle Eastern descent among cities in the U.S. President Donald Trump won in Dearborn and Jill Stein got almost 19% of the vote. Now, some are concerned with Trump's attacks on immigrants and worry his tariffs will hurt the economy. Michiganders have "been affected by Trump's tariffs and immigrant policies," Moughni said. "Many are at risk of being deported. He has struck a fear in their hearts."
Moughni added that Trump "trampled the U.S. Constitution by arresting and deporting legal residents." Trump is acting reckless by surrounding "himself with 'yes men' and like the 'emperor who has no clothes', he has no one to tell him he is wrong," Moughni said.
— Niraj Warikoo
Chuck Staffeld, 65, of Canton, is a retired assembly engineer who is a Libertarian at his core. He said he is suspicious of former President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, wants President Donald Trump to "keep deporting and sending criminals to jail" and believes the federal government is too big. "They don't need to be doing all these things for me. I don't want them to do these things for me," Staffeld said.
— Jalen Williams
Arlene Hunter, 63, of Detroit, is a retired federal employee who used the word "horrible" to describe President Donald Trump's first 100 days of his second term. And without hardly any hesitation, she went on to describe specifically why she considers Trump's actions horrible: "I think that he is overstepping his power. There's no way that all of those probationary employees should have been fired because I worked for the Internal Revenue Service for 38 years and they say that we don't do any work. Well, I spent eight, nine, 10 hours a day on the phone talking to people and helping them make installment agreements so that they could pay their taxes. I just think that he's in there to be a power person. He's not being fair and the tariffs are messing with people's businesses and their money."
— Scott Talley
Reco Spencer, 50, of Canton, works at Henry Ford College. When voting in the past, he typically leaned Democratic, but in the 2024 presidential election, he voted for independent candidate Cornel West.
"I can see what Trump's trying to do, but it's so erratic," Spencer said of the beginning of Trump's term. "I think he's going about the tariffs the wrong way. I understand what he's trying to do, but then it becomes more like, 'you do something to me, I'm gonna get back at you.' And then it starts to look like two kids fighting."
— Nour Rahal
Faye Nemer, 39, of Dearborn, is the CEO of the MENA American Chamber of Commerce. Typically a Democratic voter, she said she backed Trump for the first time in 2024, citing his early promises of bringing Middle East peace through diplomacy.
Trump played an "integral role" in achieving the ceasefire resolutions in both Lebanon and Palestine, Nemer said. "There were violations, but it wasn't to the extent of what we were experiencing under President Biden. And then, lo and behold, we felt like there was a 180 (degree) shift in Middle East policy, and the gloves were off with regard to Palestine."
Though initially optimistic about Trump, Nemer said she has grown increasingly concerned with the administration's military aid to Israel, ongoing wars in the Middle East, and crackdowns on student protesters. However, she still believes the administration can be held accountable through a shift in foreign policy and stronger outreach to Arab Americans.
— Nour Rahal
Morgan Smith, 19, of Detroit, is a student interested in the arts and in the latest election, she voted for Kamala Harris. She is concerned about President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs, and has seen costs in her own life increase. She enjoys playing "Mario Kart" and "The Legend of Zelda" but has watched the price of games skyrocket. "They're like, $90 now, when it used to be like $60, that's ridiculous," Smith said. "I can't really afford those, I can't get them when they come out." Looking toward the rest of his term, she said, "I'm happy this is the last time we'll see him."
— Dana Afana
Garrett Ellis, 52, of Detroit, worked as a machine operator in automotive manufacturing but he's out of work and looking for a job. He said the industry is slow due to difficulties in acquiring materials. "He's cutting everything out," Ellis said. "How are people going to live?" Imposing tariffs is "killing the world," he added.
Ellis, an independent who did not vote in 2024, feels doubtful about the remainder of Trump's term. "I feel it's not gonna really get any better. I think it's gonna get a little worse. For real, you know, it's gonna get worse because he wants to be a dictator instead of a president, and he wants to be a businessman at the same time too."
— Dana Afana
Shavone Melton, 39, of Detroit, voted for President Donald Trump because she didn't like the other choices on the ballot. She thought he'd do a good job, she said, but now the mother of five doesn't like the direction of his administration. She's particularly concerned about food stamps, which help keep her children fed, particularly as food prices increase. "They're too high to even afford," she said.
— Lily Altavena
Shelby Beard, 31, of Flat Rock, is a biologist working in the science and medical research field, where she said there have been a lot of layoffs because of EPA cuts. She voted for Harris/Walz and thinks the few things Trump has done right, "don't outweigh the horrible things he has done." Beard hopes Trump accomplishes everything he wants to "so we can see the destruction he is capable of." After Cory Booker's speech, she is very optimistic. "I think it gave a lot of hope to the left. And, proves that we are not going to sit by and let everything that Trump is doing happen," she said.
— Susan Selasky
Rhea Williams, 77, of Detroit, says this country is heading toward a dictatorship. 'He said that he would be a dictator if he became president. And he's trying to do that," Williams said of President Donald Trump.
And he's a leader who hasn't made good on his promises, she said. "Don't threaten my Social Security," Williams said. "Prices are just too high and he promised that prices would go down and they are not."
— Andrea Sahouri
Haley Cislo, 32, of Woodhaven, is a schoolteacher who has voted Republican in the past two elections. Although President Donald Trump and DOGE have taken steps to dismantle the Department of Education, she remains supportive of the administration and is "looking towards the future."
"It's not easy topics but I'm remaining open and, again, trusting that whatever changes are made will ultimately support students and us educators," Cislo said.
— Eric Guzman
David Burbo, 62, of Trenton, said he believes President Donald Trump is doing the right thing. With tariffs, Burbo believes the U.S. should do the same to other countries. "We can't let everyone come over and get a free deal. Instead of giving these countries tons of money and not expecting anything from them," he said.
Burbo believes that U.S. borders need to be secured: "We have to know who is coming to this country, from criminals to diseases and sicknesses," he said.
— Susan Selasky
John Linares tends to vote independent but didn't cast his vote during this past presidential election as a result of not supporting a candidate. The 69-year-old from Dearborn Heights said that President Donald Trump has done a terrible job in his first 100 days in office.
'I don't like what he's doing and I don't support him whatsoever,' Linares said. 'I think he's hurting more Americans and I think his interest is mainly on him.'
— Eric Guzman
Miklos Penzes, 57, of Wyandotte, said he voted for President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election. While he said he believes things have been going well and has supported the efforts from the president addressing Social Security and implementing DOGE, he also said that the tariffs have started to scare him and he doesn't want the administration to be all talk.
"'Cause anyone can say stuff and if it don't happen, then it's just saying stuff," Penzes said.
— Eric Guzman
John Nixon, 62, a Detroit landscaper who works for himself, said he has voted in every presidential election — always Democratic. President Donald Trump's second term has been 'terrible' he says, raising the deportation of visa holders as one reason why. While Nixon hasn't been directly affected by Trump's policies, as an aging Black man who relies on Medicaid, he said he worries about potential cuts to health care and the emboldening of 'racist' police.
Nixon said he was stressed about the direction the country was heading before Trump — particularly rising violent crime among youths. That stress is now amplified, with nightly flareups at 11 p.m., when he watches the TV news. 'I think Trump is gonna have us in a war and I really do think he's very prejudiced,' Nixon said.
If Trump has one redeeming quality, it's that he 'stands up for America,' but in the next breath, Nixon backpedals, noting that Trump can also instigate foreign conflict. Referencing nuclear warfare, he said, 'Trump could push a button and everybody is gone.'
— Violet Ikonomova
Michael Hatch, 47, is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians who lived in the Upper Peninsula for more than 30 years before recently moving to Flat Rock.
He works as a carpenter, but also paints Native American art and is a Horse Dancer at Pow-Wows. Hatch never votes, not even in tribal elections, because 'They are modeled after the U.S. system.'
He doesn't see much difference between the parties and would prefer a more native form of government where the grandmothers of the village ruled. He said President Donald Trump's tenure has been 'uninformed'and he'd like to see less 'bigotry and lying.'
Hatch said the increase in ICE activity under Trump is affecting Native Americans. 'Just because we're brown, we look like Mexicans. I hate to say it, but it was like almost racial profiling, right there.'
He said he has had friends and relatives detained who had to show their papers before being released.
'Like we always say, Natives don't cross borders, borders crossed us,' he said.
— John Wisely
Economic uncertainty brought on by President Donald Trump's global tariffs was particularly on the mind of Davis Greene, 23, of Detroit, a student at Macomb Community College, who called himself an independent.
"I can tell it's already affecting a lot of society," he said. "I know some business owners who do business overseas. And now that prices are going up, that affects their livelihood.
"I think the power of the U.S. dollar is severely going to change. The U.S. as a country, we're built a lot on our money."
But Greene is staying even-keeled overall. "We've gone through a lot of different things through the years with different presidents, both good and bad," he said. "I'm a man of faith. As long as people have God with them, they will be all right. Once this term is over, we'll have another president, and he or she is going to have their own priorities and policies."
— Keith Matheny
Biaohua Yu, a 36-year-old neuroscience researcher who lives in Detroit, said he felt that "anger coming during the election. I see that anger manifesting now in terms of anger at the LGBT community, especially the transgender community, immigrants and … ignoring due process. It's manifesting more severe than I thought it was ever going to be."
Yu, who is an immigrant — and U.S. citizen — said he will work on getting his parents' naturalization papers in order in case anyone should question their citizenship. He believes in streamlining the government but also believes the people President Donald Trump has put in charge of doing so are operating beyond their level of expertise. And Yu, who is gay, is worried that the Supreme Court's decision allowing same sex marriage could be overturned. "More racism, more expensive stuff and a lot more anxiety, that is what we get in this presidency," he said.
— Georgea Kovanis
Betty Romo, 40, of Lincoln Park, has lived in Michigan for 23 years after moving from Jalisco, Mexico, at a young age. She now lives in Lincoln Park and works at her family's business in southwest Detroit, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this May. Romo has worked there for the past 10 years.
'I carry a deep sadness with me because of everything happening in our government," Romo said. "My heart aches for my community, for the fear we live with every day. The uncertainty about our future, about whether we'll be safe or allowed to stay, makes me feel helpless.'
— David Rodriguez Muñoz
Dachelle Carter, 28, of Lincoln Park and a grad student at Wayne State University, said the start of the President Donald Trump administration has just been chaos and a lot of things have been overturned. 'I'm currently at school and there has been a lot of pressure trying to finish school and knowing that everything, the changes that (have) been happening, has been affecting me and my schooling and financial aid," she said. The changes, Carter said, put her in distress because there is so much 'uncertainty regarding everything that is going on.'
Pandora Hanshaw, a 56-year-old Detroit retiree, has always voted Democratic, but considers herself more of an independent — a fan and foe of various positions on either side of the aisle. Ahead of the last presidential election, she became a rare swing voter. Her socially conservative values and desire to see blue-collar jobs return to the Midwest from overseas almost prompted her to cast a ballot for now-President Donald Trump — and, in the Republican presidential primary, she even did. But by the time of the general election, with the Democratic nominee by then a Black woman, she decided to stick with personal tradition and vote blue.
Hanshaw has mixed feelings on Trump's first 100 days. While she appreciates the spirit of his tariffs, she believes their rollout threatened to put the country in a worse position economically. And she disagrees with Trump's zealousness on immigration, as "there's more things going on." She also resents how he behaves. "His presentation is horrible to me," Hanshaw said.
— Violet Ikonomova
This series was reported by: Dana Afana, Lily Altavena, Sarah Atwood, Tresa Baldas, Duante Beddingfield, Dave Boucher, Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, Jackie Charniga, Natalie Davies, Paul Egan, Eric Guzman, Christina Hall, Brad Heineman, Clara Hendrickson, Brendel Hightower, Johnathan Hogan, Violet Ikonomova, Cassidey Kavathas, Georgea Kovanis, Jamie L. LaReau, Eric D. Lawrence, Arpan Lobo, Keith Matheny, Sarah Moore, Darcie Moran, David Rodriguez Muñoz, Corey J. Murray, David Panian, Jenna Prestininzi, Nour Rahal, Nushrat Rahman, Liam Rappleye, Don Reid, Adrienne Roberts, Andrea May Sahouri, Beki San Martin, Susan Selasky, Kristen Jordan Shamus, Scott Talley, Kristi Tanner, Connor Veenstra, Tess Ware, Niraj Warikoo, Jalen Williams, John Wisely, Suzanne Nolan Wisler and Frank Witsil.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: In Michigan's Wayne County, voters weigh in on Trump's first 100 days