Tracking a state where Trump won by only 10,000.
Courtesy the Detroit Free Press.
Some hope.
Courtesy the Detroit Free Press.
Four months after the president was inaugurated, those who voted for him in the last election seem little affected by questions over his campaigns involvement in attempts by Russia to sway the election, a series of missteps on health care reform, a controversial travel order and more.
He causes a lot of his own problems but I dont think hes getting a fair shake, said Randall Shelton, a 64-year-old independent in Allen Park and self-described angry white voter who backed Trump in last years election. As he said, its a witch-hunt. He never got a fair shake right from the get-go.
Its an opinion thats easy to find among Trump supporters: He is trying to do what he promised. Its Democratic obstructionism, biased media reports and, in some cases, even Republican intransigence mixed with the presidents own idiosyncrasies and inexperience that is hurting him.
And they seem willing to give him a pass.
Pannebecker argues that the media is mistreating Trump by suggesting through the tenor of its coverage that this alleged Russia-Trump connection is the point of the investigation (when) its not. As for the overall Russia investigation, he said he thinks its all laughable but should play out.
The support (among Republicans) is rock solid, said John Wolfsberger, chairman of the Macomb County Republican Party. I think people are tuning out (the critics). I dont think people are finding it at all credible. If anything, its making them angry.
To Wolfsberger and others, that sounds entirely innocent.
I would interpret that as Trump feeling there was nothing to investigate. . In any event, he was leaving it to Comey to decide whether or not to end the investigation. I dont see anything in that phrase that looks remotely like applying pressure.
You know, the guy is thinking in the same terms as the everyday, common working guy, Salcido said. He talks the same way, he says the same things. Hes basically mimicking the way that we feel.
When we get the perspective (of commentators) on TV, its like a whole different world, he said. Its, what are they talking about? Its not like that here.
Nobody's giving him a chance other than the people who actually like him, said MaryAnn Simon, an 82-year-old Trump supporter in Harrison Township. I think he's a good man and he's accomplishing a lot but nobody seems to care. He always gets the bad end of the deal.
Some hope.
A poll done by EPIC-MRA of Lansing of likely Michigan voters last week shows results consistent with the trend: Thirty-five percent gave Trump a positive job rating, down from 39% in February. Those giving him negative marks went from 56% to 61%.
Republican support wasn't as strong as it is nationally 67% gave him favorable ratings compared with 29% that said he's doing only fair or poorly but it's still a clear majority of GOP voters. Ninety-two percent of Michigan Democrats gave him a negative job rating, as did 54% of independents. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.