OPINION: The Betrayal of Trump 2.0: Broken Promises and the Looming Democratic Resurgence

By: Madison Maynard

Gen Z has lived through incredibly interesting political moments, specifically with the rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA coalition during the 2016 presidential election, and the strengthening of social movements such as Black Lives Matter, the George Floyd protests of 2020, the March for Our Lives gun control movement, and demonstrations in support of both Israel and Palestine in the midst of their Middle East conflict. But right now is especially unique. We are in Trump 2.0, and every promise the president made on the campaign trail has been broken.

To break it down, President Trump ran on policies centered around affordability and the cost of living, as many Americans were critical of former President Joe Biden’s presidency, the rise of inflation, and its impact on the cost of living. It was a winning platform for Republicans across the nation who ran on the message: “Democrats have destroyed our economy; this is why you should vote Republican.” 

With former Vice President Kamala Harris having only 107 days to campaign for president after Biden dropped out too late in the game, it was difficult to beat the messaging of MAGA. Many Americans thought that Trump 2.0 would be centered on economic promises, but everything he has done, specifically this year, has proved that was never his goal.

This is where we are now: President Trump is at a historic low approval rating of 37%. Why? The administration led the United States into a controversial war with Iran, which has led to a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that has caused the cost of gas and diesel fuel to skyrocket. This has also affected the overall cost of living, especially with the war driving up the rate of inflation. This has impacted the cost of housing, groceries, utilities, and much more. Americans are feeling the effects of the war. Everything Trump promised would go down has gone up for consumers, and voters are left feeling betrayed.

There is also another main reason for Trump’s unpopularity: his immigration enforcement, which many believe has gone too far, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement violently detaining both undocumented individuals and American citizens. Many believed Trump would target only criminals, not everyday working immigrants who came to this country for a better life. Furthermore, the horrific shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two white people, by ICE officers at the beginning of the year certainly failed to prove that the administration has targeted only violent criminals. There have been several other fatal and nonfatal shootings by ICE officers, leading to widespread criticism of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE operations.

These two main policy areas failing to deliver the outcomes people expected have led to the position Republicans find themselves in politically right now: facing the potential loss of their majorities in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Several polls point to Democrats winning both the House and the Senate, and many experts are saying the same thing, even though Republicans continue to outspend Democrats in campaign funding.

The House is looking solid for Democrats, as The Cook Political Report recently predicted that around 220 House seats are leaning or solid Democratic after shifting 19 more seats toward Democrats, surpassing the 218-seat threshold either party needs to hold the majority.

The Senate will be a bit more of a challenge for Democrats, as they must hold all of their current seats and flip four Republican seats to win the majority. Many of the battleground states they need to win were carried by President Trump by double digits in 2024. However, Democrats are currently polling ahead in many of these states.

According to MS NOW and FiftyPlusOne, in Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads with 49.2% versus Republican Ken Paxton at 46.6%; in Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson leads with 49% versus Republican Sen. Susan Collins at 47.3%; in Michigan, Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed leads with 47.9% versus Republican Mike Rogers at 45.1%; in Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek leads with 46.2% versus Republican Ashley Hinson at 45.9%. 

Also, in Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola leads with 49.7% versus Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan at 47.7%; in New Hampshire, Democrat Chris  Pappas leads with 50% versus Republican John Sununu at 43.1%; in North Carolina, Democrat Roy Cooper leads with 51.6% versus Republican Michael Whatley at 41.9%; and in Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown leads with 48.2% versus Republican Sen. Jon Husted at 44.6%.

A potential blue wave of this magnitude could also impact the Democratic Party heading into the 2028 presidential election, as candidates will begin announcing their formal candidacies early next year. A slam-dunk victory for Democrats would positively affect the party for years to come following the devastating loss by Harris. But it would be disastrous for Republicans, to see everything fall apart just two years after having such an amazing comeback story in 2024.