Astead W. Herndon

Right. So whether it's the campaign trail or his announcement on April 2nd that specifically mentions Delantis, Monica is directly in the middle of the impacts of Trump's policy and a voter who I think represents the type of optimism that surrounded kind of Trump's economic pitch. And so I was wondering what the expectations to reality were specifically with someone like her.

Right. So whether it's the campaign trail or his announcement on April 2nd that specifically mentions Delantis, Monica is directly in the middle of the impacts of Trump's policy and a voter who I think represents the type of optimism that surrounded kind of Trump's economic pitch. And so I was wondering what the expectations to reality were specifically with someone like her.

OK. So I wanted to meet Monica in person. So me, along with producer Anna Foley, headed to Michigan. And we met at a brewery that is near her hometown. And it's about 30-ish minutes outside of Detroit. And when we met her, my first question was just, how has she been since the election? And what was her reaction to kind of the first hundred-ish days of Trump?

OK. So I wanted to meet Monica in person. So me, along with producer Anna Foley, headed to Michigan. And we met at a brewery that is near her hometown. And it's about 30-ish minutes outside of Detroit. And when we met her, my first question was just, how has she been since the election? And what was her reaction to kind of the first hundred-ish days of Trump?

And simply, her response was, you know, a mixed bag.

And simply, her response was, you know, a mixed bag.

She mentioned a couple things, and they really reflect some of the other voters we've been checking in with also. So before the election, you didn't have a big opinion on tariffs, or did you?

She mentioned a couple things, and they really reflect some of the other voters we've been checking in with also. So before the election, you didn't have a big opinion on tariffs, or did you?

An idea that they thought these tariffs were going to focus specifically on places like China or places like Mexico, not be sweeping and include, you know, random islands like Heard Island and McDonald Island are getting tariffs. Right, the ones without people on them. Yes, inhabited by penguins. Poor penguins. She mentioned how the uncertainty causes real instability.

An idea that they thought these tariffs were going to focus specifically on places like China or places like Mexico, not be sweeping and include, you know, random islands like Heard Island and McDonald Island are getting tariffs. Right, the ones without people on them. Yes, inhabited by penguins. Poor penguins. She mentioned how the uncertainty causes real instability.

Finances needs, hey, if you do A and B, then we will do C. And so I think that, you know, there was a kind of understanding that Donald Trump means disruption, right? That Donald Trump means chaos. It's just that on this issue specifically, this isn't what she was expecting.

Finances needs, hey, if you do A and B, then we will do C. And so I think that, you know, there was a kind of understanding that Donald Trump means disruption, right? That Donald Trump means chaos. It's just that on this issue specifically, this isn't what she was expecting.

And I think this overlaps with a lot of other voters we talked to who were expecting Donald Trump to focus on bringing prices down. So she's somewhat skeptical. She is somewhat skeptical. However...

And I think this overlaps with a lot of other voters we talked to who were expecting Donald Trump to focus on bringing prices down. So she's somewhat skeptical. She is somewhat skeptical. However...

There was still remaining amounts of hope that the uncertainty in the short term would bring back the job in the longer term. She's still holding on to the kind of economic premise that Trump lays out that say that this could actually be a runway for him to cut some deals with these companies or deals with other nations that open up a space that could bring manufacturing jobs back.

There was still remaining amounts of hope that the uncertainty in the short term would bring back the job in the longer term. She's still holding on to the kind of economic premise that Trump lays out that say that this could actually be a runway for him to cut some deals with these companies or deals with other nations that open up a space that could bring manufacturing jobs back.

So it reminded me that although the branding of Donald Trump can feel tiresome and I think can feel like political spin. It's potent. It's potent. And it really is the number one way a lot of lay people have come to him is a sense that he is a kind of assumed level of competence when it comes to business and the economy.

So it reminded me that although the branding of Donald Trump can feel tiresome and I think can feel like political spin. It's potent. It's potent. And it really is the number one way a lot of lay people have come to him is a sense that he is a kind of assumed level of competence when it comes to business and the economy.

It earns Trump a level of trust with her, and it gives him some sort of runway to see how this policy plays out. Now, I think we should also say that some of that runway is built on her individual kind of preference for Trump, but it's also about her lack of trust in Democrats. When we ask her, has this kind of chaos made you feel regretful about voting for Trump or things like that, she says no.

It earns Trump a level of trust with her, and it gives him some sort of runway to see how this policy plays out. Now, I think we should also say that some of that runway is built on her individual kind of preference for Trump, but it's also about her lack of trust in Democrats. When we ask her, has this kind of chaos made you feel regretful about voting for Trump or things like that, she says no.