Susan Ferrechio | April 28, 2025

(The Washington Times) — President Trump is scheduled to hold the first rally of his second term Tuesday in Macomb County, Michigan, where Republicans are in awe of his actions in a little more than three months to stop illegal immigration, cut government spending, claw back regulations and implement a host of other policies through a flurry of executive orders.

Macomb is the most heavily Republican county in the critical swing state, which helped carry Mr. Trump to victory in November. Residents thrilled with Mr. Trump’s rapid-fire pace of fulfilling the promises he made in the 2024 campaign are expected to give him a warm welcome.

“When he was inaugurated, he didn’t go back to the Oval Office and sit behind that Resolute desk and try to think about what to do. He had this planned out, because he hit the ground running like something none of us really anticipated,” said Mark Forton, a former chairman of the Macomb County Republican Party.

Mr. Trump’s first 100 days have given other Republicans heartburn, particularly with his trade policy and across-the-board tariffs that sent the stock market into a free fall and now threaten to sink the economy into a recession.

“There are businesses that will go bankrupt because of this,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican and former plastics manufacturer.

Mr. Johnson, a free trade advocate, is otherwise thrilled with Mr. Trump’s swift actions to cut government waste and secure the border, two of the president’s most prominent campaign pledges, and his executive orders ending liberal policies in government and education.

Illegal immigrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped 95% since Mr. Trump took office. The Department of Government Efficiency, created on his first day in office, has shrunk the federal workforce through buyouts and layoffs. DOGE officials said the administration is on track to save an estimated $160 billion by cutting wasteful spending, canceling government contracts and ending leases for federal buildings that sit mostly empty.

Mr. Trump pleased conservatives by quickly signing executive orders to end the proliferation of diversity, equity and inclusion programs that had spread throughout government and education. In a widely celebrated move, Mr. Trump banned males from competing in female-only sports in schools and higher education institutions that accept federal funds.

“I couldn’t be happier with how bold and decisive and swift he’s been acting to fulfill the promises,” Mr. Johnson said. “I couldn’t be happier with the border, DOGE, anti-wokeisim, those types of things. My concern is the trade war.”

Mr. Johnson’s uneasiness with the president’s trade policies is echoed by lawmakers in both parties and reflected in polls that show discontent.

A Fox News poll released Wednesday found that Mr. Trump’s approval rating had sunk to 44%, partially dragged down by his handling of tariffs and the economy. Only 33% of registered voters approved of the president’s tariff policy. A slightly higher but dismal 38% were happy with his handling of the economy and taxes.

Among Republicans, 72% approved of Mr. Trump’s job performance, but his approval rating was a meager 23% among independents. Only 9% of Democrats felt positive about the president’s first three months in office.

Mr. Trump said he is negotiating hundreds of trade deals with countries that have imposed higher levies and trade barriers for decades, putting U.S. exports at a significant disadvantage. One of Mr. Trump’s primary goals is to force China to end unfair trade practices that have harmed the U.S. and endangered national security. Instead, the president has escalated a trade war with China, leading to a 145% tariff on all imported Chinese goods.

Amid a 30-day pause on reciprocal tariffs with other U.S. trading partners, the administration has failed to announce a new trade deal with any country while leaving an across-the-board 10% levy on many imported goods and an increased tariff on steel and aluminum.

The uncertainty about future tariffs and when Mr. Trump might strike a deal to end or reduce the increased tariffs has led to wild swings on Wall Street and warnings that a full implementation of the tariff scheme would dramatically slow long-term economic growth and lead to a recession.

In Nevada, a swing state Mr. Trump won by 3 percentage points, the tariffs are hurting small businesses, which make up most of the state’s economy, said Bruce Parks, the Republican Party chairman in Washoe County, which includes Reno.

Reno Republicans are behind Mr. Trump.

“I know a lot of businesses here in the area, especially small businesses, are being impacted by the tariffs a little bit,” Mr. Parks said. “But they also understand that for years and years and years, we have been unfairly taken advantage of, and it’s about time somebody stood up and said, ‘No more.’ They are aware that, in the long run, this can only have a positive impact on their businesses.”

The existing tariffs bring up to $305 million daily in federal revenue. They have also resulted in plans by several manufacturers to open new U.S. plants or add production to existing plants to avoid tariffs, fulfilling the president’s goal of bringing billions of dollars in investments to the U.S. while creating thousands of jobs.

Atlanta-based pollster Matt Towery said Mr. Trump’s numbers are rosier than they appear in some surveys. He said pollsters that most accurately predicted the outcomes of the past three presidential elections show higher satisfaction.

Rasmussen Reports’ daily tracking poll Friday showed that Mr. Trump’s voter approval rating was 47%, down from 52% on April 21.

“I don’t believe so-called chaos related to the tariffs is having as big of an impact with voters as it is with the media and Wall Street,” Mr. Towery said. “Yes, his numbers have come down a bit, but in a polarized country, they are much higher than I would have expected.”

In different polls, voters give DOGE and its leader, technology billionaire Elon Musk, mixed reviews on efforts to shrink the size and cost of government.

Democrats are looking for a 2026 midterm election backlash against Mr. Trump that could help them capture control of Congress. They have helped stoke fear and disapproval of the president’s fast-paced policy changes and spending cuts, repeatedly claiming the administration’s sledgehammer approach will harm entitlement benefits.

“How can Americans have confidence when the prospect of trade wars sends stock markets plunging and Trump lets billionaires like Elon Musk take a chain saw to people’s benefits? Americans look at this chaos, and they are worried,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.

The judicial system has issued dozens of injunctions and temporary restraining orders that have prevented the administration from fully carrying out deportations and efforts to downsize the government and remove DEI policies.

Congressional Republicans are looking at legislation to clear a path for the president’s agenda. Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican and Trump ally, introduced a bill to clarify judicial power and curb the district courts’ “growing tendency to overstep by issuing sweeping, nationwide orders.”

When Mr. Trump first launched his reelection bid in 2023, he was quickly buoyed by Republican voters in Iowa, who propelled him to an early, decisive win over a competitive primary field. Iowa Republicans lined up behind Mr. Trump, they said at the time, because he kept his promises during his first term in office, and they felt confident he would do it again.

So far, Republicans in the state aren’t disappointed, said Brad Boustead, a leader in the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale, Iowa.

“During the campaign, he says what he’ll do. When elected, he does what he said.”