A professor and political analyst said on Monday that President Donald Trump’s political support is dropping and won’t come back — and that his time in office is finished.
In an opinion piece for The Hill, John Kenneth White, a retired professor from The Catholic University of America and author of “Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism,” explained why Trump’s leadership has hit a dead end.
White explained how Trump’s promises to Americans have been forgotten as he “started a war with Iran” during a time of economic trouble and rising inflation, pushed strict immigration rules that led to deportations without care, and saw his approval ratings fall.
“Donald Trump is running the country without the support of the people he’s supposed to serve,” White wrote.
“Most polls show Trump’s approval rating is around 40 percent. But behind the numbers is a presidency in trouble. On issues like inflation, the cost of living, and immigration — which are important to voters — Trump has very low approval.”
Trump also has to deal with the fact that his base is breaking apart as he moves into his second term.
“The images tied to Trump are now clear,” White wrote.
“Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed in Minneapolis by federal immigration officials. People of color are scared of being caught by masked ICE agents. Children are being held in cages. Soldiers are coming back from a war Trump started in the Middle East.”
“These images will always be linked to Trump,” White wrote. “
Even though he still has support from his loyal followers, most Americans have stopped backing him. Hispanics who supported Trump in 2024 are now upset with his immigration policies and have left the Republican Party in states like Texas. Sixty-seven percent of independents — the group that decides elections — disapprove of Trump’s leadership.”
White also talked about what the rest of Trump’s presidency might be like.
“For the next two years, Trump will keep all the powers of the presidency,” White wrote.
“He can veto laws, give pardons, make executive orders, and even start wars. But he will be leading without the support of the people. As Abraham Lincoln once said: ‘Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.'”
“Trump cannot regain his political position.
His presidency is over,” White added.
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