‘People are onto him’: Analyst says voters are realizing Trump is ‘wrecking the country’
A photograph shows former U.S. President Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office in mid-October 2025. That image sets the scene for a larger discussion about how his administration is viewed at this point in his presidency. A political commentator argues that Trump’s leadership is seriously harming the country and that more Americans are beginning to notice this, even people who once supported him or tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.
In The New Republic, writer Michael Tomasky explains that the flaws and missteps of Trump and the people around him have become harder to ignore. He says that over the last month especially, the administration has faced one setback after another, both at home and around the world. According to him, this week stands out as one of the worst, with new political conflicts piling onto already existing problems. These challenges, he says, are wearing down not only Trump but also the entire Republican Party, which now has to defend decisions that many Americans see as unreasonable or chaotic.
Tomasky writes that the public mood has shifted. People are increasingly pessimistic about where the country is headed. Their loss of trust isn’t just about inflation or unemployment—he believes it reflects a deeper concern about Trump’s judgment, honesty, and ability to govern. He argues that since the government shutdown, Americans have begun to recognize patterns in Trump’s leadership: exaggerating his strength, attacking critics instead of solving problems, and surrounding himself with people who seem either aggressively ideological or simply unprepared for their roles. Tomasky claims that the image the administration tries to project—a powerful, unified, confident team—is no longer convincing. In his view, the political movement around Trump is starting to fall apart.
He also highlights Trump’s sudden, dramatic effort to present himself as a peacemaker between Ukraine and Russia. Instead of being seen as thoughtful or strategic, Tomasky describes it as noisy and rushed, done in a way that seemed more performative than effective. At the same time, he says the administration has mishandled key domestic issues. The government shutdown was portrayed by critics as unnecessary and damaging, and Tomasky calls the whole situation “ridiculous,” arguing that it left millions of Americans frustrated and unsure of what the administration was trying to accomplish.
Another controversy involves Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth threatening to force Senator Mark Kelly back into military service so they could put him on trial in a military court. This move shocked many observers, who saw it as an attempt to use military authority for political retaliation. Actions like this, combined with the government shutdown and the foreign-policy confusion, have fed the perception that Trump’s administration is drifting into more extreme or unpredictable behavior.
Meanwhile, Trump’s political support is weakening. His polling numbers have dropped enough that Democrats now lead Republicans for the first time during this term. This shift is especially important as the country heads toward the 2026 midterm elections. Political experts say that if these trends continue, the Republican Party could lose control of Congress. Some analysts even predict a major Democratic victory, especially given that many voters are struggling with the cost of living and feel that the administration hasn’t done enough to help.
Even conservative media outlets that once firmly backed Trump, including Fox News, have become more critical as they see public opinion shifting. A new poll from McLaughlin & Associates shows Democrats slightly ahead—45% to 44%—in a generic congressional matchup. Although the difference is small, it represents a meaningful change, because Republicans had been leading earlier in the year.
According to the poll, many Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, and this dissatisfaction is particularly strong in swing states that often decide elections. Pollsters now think Democrats have a real chance to take back Congress in 2026, something that would dramatically reshape the political landscape. Taken together, the polling numbers, the criticism, and the ongoing political struggles suggest that Trump’s administration is entering one of its most difficult periods yet, with growing public doubt and a rising sense that major change could be coming.
