Some voters who helped return President Donald Trump to the White House in 2024 are now expressing frustration and uncertainty about his leadership, particularly following the U.S. conflict with Iran. According to a report by The Washington Post, a number of young voters who supported Trump last year say they are reconsidering their political support and feeling increasingly disconnected from the political system.
A focus group of young voters near Charlotte, North Carolina, highlighted the growing dissatisfaction among some members of this demographic. Participants in the group had all voted for Trump in the 2024 election, but many now say they are struggling financially and questioning the administration’s priorities.
Several of the young men in the discussion described feeling overwhelmed by the cost of living while trying to manage multiple jobs. They said economic pressures have left them exhausted and unsure about their future.
“I wouldn’t say it’s living,” said 23-year-old Republican voter James Wiest while describing his current circumstances. “It’s survival.” Some participants also said they were confused by the decision to enter a conflict with Iran, saying it did not match the expectations they had when they voted.
“I feel betrayed,” 26-year-old Joshua Byers told The Post after participating in the focus group. “I don’t know why we are fighting [in Iran] if we have never been attacked. I just don’t understand why.”
Byers said the constant flow of political news and global conflict has left him feeling mentally drained. “The more these things actually have an impact on everything … the more shut down I want to be,” he explained. “I just want to opt out of the system.”
His frustration has grown to the point that he now questions whether he wants to vote in the future. “I don’t really want to vote anymore,” Byers said. “I’m really starting to just think it just won’t matter. … I don’t want to feel responsible for taking a vote and feeling misled, or misjudged, or making a wrong move.”
The focus group included about two dozen young voters in North Carolina, a state expected to play an important role in the upcoming midterm elections. While the administration has focused heavily on foreign policy issues, many young voters say their main concerns remain economic.
Rising costs, student debt and job insecurity continue to weigh heavily on them. Lilly Burrow, a teacher who supported Trump in both 2020 and 2024, said she believed his campaign promises to avoid new conflicts and lower gas prices.
“I am not happy with him right now,” Burrow said, adding that she had trusted Trump when he promised, “there would be no new wars, and he said that gas would be below $3 a gallon. She said the situation now “does change how I feel about Trump.”
Another voter, Republican Faith Peavey, said she supported Trump in 2024 but had reservations at the time. “Did you mention that you were planning on attacking these countries? We are fighting the wrong battles,” Peavey said.
She also expressed frustration that some campaign promises appear to have gone unfulfilled. “It has definitely been frustrating to see him doing things that were not things he promised to do and not doing things that he promised to do.”
Polling data suggests that these concerns may extend beyond the small focus group. A recent Post-ABC-Ipsos poll found that 70% of Americans aged 18 to 29 disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while only 29% approve.
The trend could have significant implications for upcoming elections. Surveys suggest that many voters under 40 who supported Trump in 2024 are now less enthusiastic about voting in the 2026 midterms.
Only about 51% of those voters say they are certain to vote, compared with roughly 77% of voters in the same age group who supported former Vice President Kamala Harris. Political analysts say those participation gaps could play a major role in determining how the next election cycle unfolds.
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