What Wisconsin Swing Voters Said in May 2025

Key Takeaways

Nine of 12 Wisconsin swing voters express support for President Donald Trump, and none of them would vote for Kamala Harris if given the chance.
Though most of these voters approve of Trump, they do have questions for the president, including ones about his general conduct.
Overall, the Wisconsin voters see the value of Trump’s tariffs, but they didn’t care for his recent comment about how many dolls a child should have.

Wisconsin Swing Voters Support Trump

Nine of 12 Wisconsin swing voters interviewed in May 2025 approve of the president’s actions in the first four months of his second term. In the group, 10 voters identify as independents, while two are Republicans. If they had a chance to vote again in the 2024 election, not even one of them would choose Kamala Harris.

What these voters had to say about supporting Trump included comments like these:

“He’s doing basically what he ran on.”

“I think he’s trying to be more efficient with government spending.”

“I would say immigration. I really like what he’s trying to do with Israel and Gaza and also Ukraine and Russia, and I like some of the things in his ‘big beautiful bill’. Not everything.”

“I approve that he is putting America first and finally addressing that we have been taken advantage of and he’s tired of it.”

Why Some Voters Disapprove of Trump

Three of the 12 Wisconsin swing voters expressed disapproval of Trump. One of them said that Trump’s number one campaign promise was to fix the economy. They feel like fixing the economy has not been a priority for Trump.

When asked about why they don’t approve of Trump, the other two had these answers:

“Economy and then I disapprove of the cuts on the programs.”

“I guess it’s mostly the speed that it’s happening. Not so much the topics, but just trying to push everything through so fast. Like, I’m OK with the tariffs, but just hitting it so hard. I’m a small business owner, so it’s creating a lot of anxiety with people’s spending right now.”

Questions Voters Would Ask Trump

Though three-quarters of the Wisconsin swing voters expressed support for Trump, they still have some questions. If given the opportunity, what they would ask the president included these questions:

“I love the policies you’re trying to get through, but why do you have to be such an egotistical idiot in public? Can’t you just tone it down a little?”

“Why can’t we just be more civil, normal, when we talk?”

“Why do you have to put somebody else down and talk about them? … I know you’re confident, but it almost sounds like anxiety trying to win people over.”

“Seeing as he views himself as a dealmaker, as a peacemaker, I want to ask him what’s his plan for Gaza and how does he plan to resolve that issue?”

“How far are you planning to go with deportation and how it affects children in this country that have been born in the US to illegal immigrants or non-citizens?”

“I would say, Mr. Trump, I get the tariffs, but why are we attacking people like Canada and others?”

“I would ask him, why is he so against the veterans?”

“What is your outlook for future America with all the program cuts, especially for education?”

Thoughts on the Economy and Trump’s tariffs

Eleven of the 12 Wisconsin swing voters believe Joe Biden is more responsible for the current state of the US economy than Trump. Eight of the 12 also approve of Trump’s actions when it comes to tariffs. Ten of them believe Trump has imposed tariffs to strengthen his hand when negotiating.

Nine of the 12 believe the tariffs will be painful in the short term but will pay off in the long terms Their thoughts on tariffs included:

“He’s trying to even the playing field and make it more fair for America.”

“I think it’s been a long time coming. We’ve been taken advantage of and other countries are charging us more. We’re leaving money on the table.”

“He just went so hard and so fast with Canada. They’re an ally. Yes. Bring them to the table, do tariffs, but give them a minute.”

Reactions to a Recent Comment from Trump

Though the Wisconsin swing voters seem willing to endure short-term economic sacrifices, they did not enjoy hearing Trump’s recent comment about making do with less. The president said that children would have to get used to having two dolls instead of 30.

The voters’ responses to this comment were:

“It reminds me of Maria Antoinette. It’s a little bit like, ‘Let them eat cake.’ … It rubbed me the wrong way when he said that. It just seemed like a disconnect with the average American person.”

“He’s not the average American person. For one thing, he’s got money. The average American person does not have money.”

“He was trivializing what is actually happening. We’re not concerned about an extra toy for our children. The children are not upset about that. We’re concerned about having food and being able to afford groceries or getting enough hours at work.”

Cutting Government Spending

Now that Elon Musk is no longer working so closely with Trump, the voters were asked about government spending. What percentage of total projected government spending do they believe will actually end up being cut?

The highest answer anyone gave was 30%. One voter said between 20-25%, while another guessed 20%. Four people estimated the total would be 15 percent. At least five people said the total would only be 1-2%.

Voters Respond to a Parody of the President

During the focus groups, voters were shown a clip from an episode of Saturday Night Live that aired in May. In the clip, James Austin Johnson, portraying President Trump, randomly interrupts a tribute to Mother’s Day. The actor, as Trump, says, “Hello, it’s me again. Invading all aspects of your life.”

The Wisconsin voters were asked if they feel like Trump actually invades all aspects of their lives. Only two of the 12 said yes. One said they hear from Trump way too often. Of the 12 swing voters, only three regularly watch Saturday Night Live.

As Trump’s second term continues, the Swing Voter Project will keep talking to voters about how they feel about his policies and behavior. Don’t miss the latest updates each month.