Ex-Trump Voters Tell Current Ones Why They Should Oppose Him

President Donald Trump walks from Maine One across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, as he returns from Reno, Nev.. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Support for President Trump has been cratering. In poll after poll, Trump’s approval for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic is well below 40%.

General election polls favor Democratic nominee Joe Biden. After September 29th’s debate, polls lead us to conclude that Trump lost. What’s more, there was “a fairly overwhelming sense that Biden’s conduct during the debate was more presidential.” The New York Times wrote that it was “nearly impossible to watch,” given the constant interruptions – the majority, slippery word salads from Trump.

After President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, his support continued to slide, with more polls indicating Biden has double-digit leads. We’ve seen further erosion in Trump’s support among senior citizens, and it’s pushing Biden ahead in multiple swing states.

At the same time, the president literally “can’t afford” to lose the next election. His tax returns indicate massive debts that suggest he first ran for office to make money and add prestige (or just attention) to his name. Losing this November would be not only a political, but financial blow. Not to mention the looming criminal investigations.

With President Trump continuing to bleed his own support, including former members of his own administration, we interviewed 8 former Trump supporters and asked what they would say to current Trump supporters. Here’s what they said:

David Pingree, a former GOP fundraiser – Los Angeles California

Dear Trump Supporters,

The reason Donald Trump lost my support is because his divisiveness has been his strongest character trait throughout his entire term as president. One of the major promises Donald Trump made to Americans is he would “become presidential” once he was elected, and his persona was just a tactic to win the election. Four years later, and this has yet to happen.

Donald Trump’s pride and ego resulted in 200,000+ Americans to dying from a virus he knew about ahead of time, discouraging the use of masks creating a larger, and longer spread of Covid-19. He lies about where we are at with this novel virus, and contradicts the scientists and even those in his own Covid task force.

During riots and protests across the nation, he used chemical warfare as a control tactic on the American people. Donald Trump has never once made a statement encouraging peace or unity, and instead, he incited violence and encouraged people to take their weapons to the streets resulting in a 17-year-old in illegal possession of a firearm to murder innocent citizens practicing their 1st amendment right.

The president has turned his back on our nation, made a mockery out of our election, brought foreign dictators in to interfere with our election, made inappropriate business deals with said dictators while doing political negotiations, and has lied to the American people almost every time he has made a public statement.

His attack on our journalists is a threat to the 1st Amendment. He abuses freedom of speech, tries to deny the media or to mislead millions of people in a desperate grasp at reelection. Time and time again, Donald Trump has shown us he is not morally or mentally fit to lead a nation. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote against America and a vote against the constitution in which this great nation was founded upon.

If it helps with the statement I’m a former board member of the California College Republicans and a GOP fundraiser in California.

Kathy – California

Dear Trump Supporters,

It really is a tough question because it is hard to make most Trump voters understand the state our country is in and where we are headed.

I voted for him because I did not like the alternative. I believed the lies for most of his presidency. The impeachment hearings are what really hit me. I followed every hearing and was objective. I started noticing the lies when I started doing research and that led me to more research not related to the impeachment. I think it really hit me when I researched unemployment and realized he really has done nothing.

It opened my eyes and started to do my own research on other issues. The lies piled up.

I guess the number one thing I can say is to really do your own research. Look at the election and candidates with objectivity. Put your personal views aside and ask yourself, is this man good for the country? Look at us through the eyes of the world, where our credibility and reputation is no longer in good standing. Look at it through the eyes of women and civil rights. Look at it through the eyes of an American…not a Republican.

When I did that, I finally opened my eyes and realized that Trump is absolutely the wrong person and will destroy our country and democracy as we know it. I am terrified and everyone should be as well.

Minister Jim Allen – Chicago, Illinois

Dear Trump Supporters,

My advice to Trump supporters is this: voting for Trump is agreeing with police brutality, racism, and xenophobia. Donald Trump has been an extreme disappointment to all of us who thought he was some different, drain the swamp politician. He actually became the swamp.

The popular culture figure of Trump relative to his days on Black sitcoms and name-dropped in rap videos is what most people thought he was. A cool, down-to-earth American – which is why many of us gave him a chance. Please do not give Trump another 4 more years to destroy the lives of innocent immigrants and those who served in the United States military by calling them suckers and losers, yet Trump’s ancestors before him have NEVER served in any war! Trump is a fraud. He fooled us; don’t get fooled again.

Minister Jim Allen,
One Business Chicago

Cory Morrocco – Coventry, RI

Dear Trump Supporters,

I really have a simple message for anyone thinking about voting for him again: if he was not the president, and you heard him going off on one of his rally rants would you say this guy makes perfect sense or would you say this is someone that is clearly racist and trying to get a rise out of people? I would also ask them, since when do Americans think so low of ourselves that it’s become acceptable for a president to lie over and over again? And when did our lives become less important than the stock market or someone’s re-election?

Lastly, I voted for Trump in 2016, as did my husband. We honestly thought his rally speeches were just bluster and he would change once in office. WE WERE WRONG. The inauguration speech was the tip off that we were in trouble. He is no longer a hidden racist; this is who he is. Lastly, Americans have always wondered how Germans sat back and allowed Hitler to rise to power. WE HAVE BECOME THOSE GERMANS. He talks about great genes, keeping people out of the suburbs and media being the enemy of the people. America will not survive another 4 years.

Rant over.

We should all step up and speak up.

Chrystal – Lincoln Park, Michigan

Dear Trump Supporters,

What I have really been thinking about is the ease with which Mr. Trump seems to disregard the experts who help him guide this country. It’s frightening also to see the lack of care for anyone who doesn’t agree with him. He seems to bully others into agreeing with him. The lack of respect for the military and its leaders is appalling. Why does our president gush about Putin? What does Vladimir know about our president?

It’s extremely suspicious that the president won’t ask the president of Russia about the bounties on our soldiers. Why does Mr. Trump support his good friend Ghislaine Maxwell, and wish her the best of luck? I wonder what kind of person trashes a POW and calls them a coward? Because they were captured? That is utterly as low as it gets. But wait, there are a thousand other things I question about this president. Does he read the Bible? Or is it just a good prop?

I cannot in good conscience stand with my party any longer in this election. I will vote for Joe Biden. The climate in this country is appalling, and not just the weather. Not to mention the deaths of over 200,000 people. And all the lying about EVERYTHING!!! On camera. The absolute all-out lying. He has eroded confidence in the thing that we should be proud of, our election system. It works just fine. I know, I’ve been an election inspector in my home state of Michigan for almost 20 years. For shame, Mr. Trump. This is the America you helped create, now. This cannot be allowed to continue.

Rob – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dear Trump Supporters,

As a lifelong Republican who voted for Trump in 2016, soon after his inauguration, I began regretting my vote and realized the mistake I’ve made. I am still a Republican at heart. I am conservative regarding immigration, I believe in having respective borders, I believe in helping without enabling entitlement.

Donald Trump doesn’t have a political party, he’s out there purely for himself. He lies shamelessly, distrust science, disrespect our Constitution, insults the free press, undermines women, throws one against the other. He is a racist, an indecent demagogue who lacks compassion for other humans.

I am voting for decency, normalcy, for a man who won’t be engaging obsessively on social media, a man who will work in uniting, not dividing us, a real man I can respect & trust. That’s why I am voting for Joe Biden!

Joe – Illinois

Dear Trump Supporters,

He doesn’t care about the American people. He has one agenda and that’s his own. He worries more about building his brand and not trying to better the country.

What has he done in 4 years that anyone can honestly say has helped America? You have millions out of work and hundreds of thousands of people dead. He doesn’t know how to speak to people and he thinks it’s OK to tear children away from their families just because they came here illegally?

Where is he when it comes to social injustice? He doesn’t care, he’s not mentally stable. He’s handled this pandemic like a damn joke and you can go back to his first interview about it.

Becky – Washington State

Dear Trump Supporters,

We are more than just a color, red or blue we should vote for the person that can help heal our country. Trump has divided this country in less than four years. He is consistently belittling others that don’t share his opinion. The amount of hate that is in America is largely from the way he treats people.

A president is supposed to be a leader; someone people look up to. That is not Trump! How can you honestly support a man that cares so little about all people. He doesn’t treat people as equals at all. He runs his campaign like it’s a tv show, anything for those ratings and cheers! Our country needs someone that is caring and can emphasize with all people. Before you cast your vote please just fact check things Trump has said and done. Remember, fact-checking is looking at credible sites, not social media or news stations.

The future of our country depends on this election.

Go Biden.