Is MAGA Morale Down Amid Trump’s Slide in Polls? What Rallygoers Say

President Donald Trump played some of his greatest hits Tuesday evening at a rally in Macomb County. His diehard supporters followed most every word.

Why It Matters

The president was in Michigan to celebrate the first 100 days of his second term, which he described to supporters at Macomb Community College in Warren as “the most successful 100 days in the history of our nation.”

Before his speech, Trump arrived on Air Force One Tuesday afternoon at Selfridge Air National Guard Base to tout his announcement of the acquisition of 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. He was joined by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

What To Know

Trump took aim at some of his biggest Democratic rivals, including former President Joe Biden and ex-Vice President Kamala Harris.

He listed grievances, alleging that Democrats attempted to “steal” the 2024 election while adding it never came to fruition. The second-term president railed on “fake” polls and the “fake news media” who publicize them, as his approval rating sits at its lowest point since he took office again in January.

Trump supporters in the audience—who were amid numerous empty seats when the president entered—stuck with him during and after the event. They poured out around 8 p.m. ET and some lingered to purchase Trump memorabilia or take photos outside of large vehicles decked with the president’s image and likeness.

Patty Collica, a local, told Newsweek outside the venue that she “loved it.” It was the lifelong Republican’s third Trump rally.

“It was very celebratory and appreciating President Trump and all his hard work,” Collica said. “Thank God that he won, and thank God that God was with him.”

She said she “couldn’t ask for anything better” in Trump’s first 100 days, mentioning how “he beat the Democrats” and “saved the U.S.”

Asked about economic concerns, she said “everything is going smoothly and the best it could go since China Joe sold us out.”

A male Trump supporter, who declined to provide his name, was near a rolling stand of Trump memorabilia. He was selling items to other supporters, including red “Trump 2028” hats.

He told Newsweek that he’s from Connecticut and has followed Trump at rallies around the country, adding that he makes enough money from sales of his items to be able to afford to trail the president.

The rally itself was mostly peaceful, aside from about a handful of people being escorted out by security.

One of them was local Evan Andridge, who spoke to Newsweek outside the venue. He was approaching Trump supporters, asking if they liked the Constitution and James Madison. He was largely ignored while holding a makeshift paper sign reading, “He cheats on his wife like he cheats the country.”

“If I tell people about the Constitution, to go to town halls and meetings, you have to do it through our system of checks and balances,” Andridge said. “You settle the dispute. He lied about the [2020] election; that’s what really made me upset enough to take action and tell these people how our system works.”

Andridge has attended multiple Trump rallies, saying that the counterprotest he witnessed outside the venue hours before it began was the biggest he’s ever seen.

He referred to Trump as a “demagogue,” said he was thrown out after he yelled so loud, he interrupted Trump’s speech. Andridge wanted the president to hear him, and he did stop talking for a few seconds as security intervened.

“I’m a guy with a paper sign. … Our Constitution is the foundational agreement of how we operate and what we respect. When that gets violated, it’s our job to counter that.”

As Trump’s first rally during his second term concluded, morale within the venue was seemingly similar to the campaign trail: high among his MAGA base.

But in recent polls, Trump’s overall approval rating and Americans’ support of his handling of the economy and other policies are sliding.

In a poll by CNN and SSRS, the president’s approval rating is 41 percent versus a 59 percent disapproval rating, a drop of 4 percent from March. The poll was taken from April 17 to April 24, among 1,678 people, with a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

Other national polls by the Associated Press and ABC News paint a similar picture of the president’s faltering approval rating.

What People Are Saying

DNC Chair Ken Martin in a statement to Newsweek, in part: “While Donald Trump lives in his delusions, Michigan families – along with millions of working families across this country – are forced to live with the consequences of his dangerous, chaotic, and economy-destroying agenda.”

Trump, during his speech: “We cannot allow a handful of communist, radical left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the president of the United States.”

What Happens Next

Trump is returning to Washington, D.C., to continue addressing his major campaign issues, including border security and getting the “big, beautiful bill” passed to cut taxes, which he reiterated Tuesday in metro Detroit.