‘Kicking butt’ or ‘going too fast’? Donald Trump voters reflect on 100 days

Ana Faguy

BBC News, Washington DC

BBC A cutout of Donald Trump is overlayed on top of red and blue stripes, with images of four people who contributed to the story next to him.BBC

When Donald Trump made a historic return to power earlier this year, it was with the help of voters who represented a diverse coalition of backgrounds – truck drivers, veterans, business owners and more.

They represented a wide range of perspectives that helped explain Trump’s enduring appeal. But 100 days after he took office, how do his staunchest supporters feel now?

The BBC has returned to five of them. Here’s what they had to say about the promises he kept, the pledges he has yet to address, and what they want next.

‘If this doesn’t work, I’ll say it’s a mistake’

Ronda Churchill Luiz Oliveira leans against a counter in his coffee shop. He is wearing a beige buttondown shirt and jeans. Behind him, there are empty tables and a mural that reads "coffee" in different languages.Ronda Churchill

Luiz Oliveira says he “can’t keep up” with the rapid policy changes Trump has made in his first 100 days.

On immigration, he has appreciated the flurry of new border restrictions and the emphasis on deportations, including sending men to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador. Encounters between migrants and US border agents at the US-Mexico are now at a four-year low.

The issue is important to Luiz, a Brazilian who came to the US legally in the 1980s and now lives in Nevada. Echoing Trump, he describes the influx of migrants in recent years as an “invasion”.

Luiz, 65, says Trump is telling undocumented immigrants: “This is my house, my yard, and you’re not going to stay here.”

In other areas, however, he, is nervous about Trump’s approach.

The coffee shop owner supports Trump’s efforts to make other countries pay “their fair share” through tariffs. But he’s apprehensive about the short-term economic effects as well as how long it could take for America to see the benefits.

“It’s going to be painful [and] I don’t think it’s going to be as fast as he says.

“I’m a supporter, but at the end of the day, if this doesn’t work, I’ll say it’s a mistake – he did things too fast, scared the markets, scared the economy.”

He’s ‘kicking butt’ and restoring a ‘merit-based society’

Nic Antaya Amanda Sue Mathis sits in her home, surrounded by photos and certificates from her time in the US Navy. She is wearing glasses, a blue shirt and jeans. Her service dog, a fluffy white poodle, sits in her lap. Nic Antaya

Amanda Sue Mathis backed Trump in 2024 because she felt he was the best candidate to address America’s most pressing problems – 100 days in, she says he’s made strong progress.

“There were a lot of people who cared about the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, but I think it’s time we look at our country and get things in order before we go fix other countries’ problems,” the 34-year-old Navy veteran says.

She wants a “merit-based society” and praises Trump’s rollback of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies which had tried to boost minority representation and tackle discrimination. Critics say those policies are themselves discriminatory – and Amanda Sue believes they went too far in recent years.

She also welcomes Trump’s executive orders restricting gender care for Americans under the age of 19 and banning transgender women from female sports.

Broadly, she thinks the president is “kicking butt” and his first 100 days have made her “happier with [her] vote”.

But Amanda Sue is prepared to have her mind changed too.

“I’m not one of those people who is always for Trump,” she says. “If he messes up, I’ll be the first one to tell you.”

‘Trump has earned back the respect’ with tariffs

Mark Pynes Ben Maurer wears a baseball cap, a dark T-shirt and lightwash blue jeans. He's standing at the front of his lorry and smiling. Mark Pynes

Trump’s promise to impose tariffs and bring manufacturing jobs back to America was a key reason why Ben Maurer, a 39-year-old freight truck driver from Pennsylvania, voted for the president.

“A lot of people thought he was bluffing on more than a few things,” he says.

So Ben’s delighted Trump hit the gas immediately, imposing tariffs on countries that range from allies like Canada and Mexico to adversaries like China.

It has not been a smooth ride, however. In a tumultuous series of announcements, the administration has raised, lowered, delayed and retracted tariffs in response to ongoing trade negotiations and stock market reaction.

Currently, the US has imposed a 10% tariffs on all imports – and China has been hit with a 145% tax on goods it exports to America.

Despite economists’ concerns about higher prices, Ben believes the businesses he delivers to will benefit in the long run.

“Trump has earned back the respect [for the US],” he says of the president’s tariff policies. “We are still the force to be reckoned with.”

Overall, he feels Trump has been more productive at the start of his second term. The president had time to prepare, he says, and it shows.

‘Musk is a character I don’t understand’

Phillipe Studio June Carey wears a dark top and blue jeans. She is reclining in a chair in her painting studio in her home, with a painting in progress behind her.Phillipe Studio

June Carey’s opinion of Donald Trump has not changed, but the first few months of Trump’s second term are not what she anticipated either.

“He’s a bit more aggressive and a little bit more erratic than I expected,” the California artist says.

But June, 70, doesn’t see the surprises as negative. She is “blown away” by the “waste” the so-called Department of Government Efficiency – led by billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk – says it has found.

Critics say his claims about savings appear to be inflated and he has faced a backlash for blunt cuts at government departments that were later reversed, including firings of key federal workers.

June says she’s uncertain about Musk himself.

“Musk is a character I don’t understand,” June says. “My feeling is that if Trump has trusted him as much as he has, than he must be a pretty good guy with the right ideas and the right goals.”

She previously told the BBC she was concerned about welfare spending and hoped Trump would push Americans to be more self-sufficient. While she is happy with the cuts so far, she hopes they leave alone social security – the monthly government payments that she and 67 million retired or disabled Americans live off.

Democrats warn those are at risk in future, but June asks: “Why would they cut [social security] when they’ve cut so many things that have saved them millions and millions of dollars?”

Trusting Trump amid ‘temporary pain’ of tariffs

Allegra Boverman Jeremy Stevens wears a dark longsleeved Tshirt and stands in front a vehicle that is being repaired.Allegra Boverman

Jeremy Stevens has faithfully stood by Trump for years.

“[Trump is] very aggressively getting things he promised on the campaign trail done,” he says.

At his automotive repair and used car shop in Maine, Jeremy sees some customers who feel differently about Trump’s economic efforts. But the 45-year-old believes their nerves around tariffs in particular come from “a lack of understanding”.

The tariffs are part of a Trump administration vision that Jeremy believes will pay off in the long run – if critics can hold on until then.

“There definitely is a perception out there about the impact of these policies that is short-sighted,” he says.

Trump’s back-and-forth shift on tariff policies have come at a price, economists say. Markets around the world were sent spiralling. The International Monetary Fund has cut its global growth forecast because of the uncertainty, with the US hardest hit. It warned there is a 40% chance of a recession in the US.

But Jeremy is convinced time will prove Trump right.

“It’s a temporary pain,” he says. “This too shall pass.”

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Trump Takes Jab at Jimmy Kimmel Before Hosting Kennedy Center Honors

President Trump took another jab at Jimmy Kimmel, this time comparing his hosting skills to the latter. At an event held the day before Sunday night’s Kennedy Center Honors, which Trump himself is hosting, the president made a prediction regarding the show itself, which is being recorded to air Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+.

Trump Opens Kennedy Center Honors Hosting By Invoking Johnny Carson

UPDATED: Donald Trump opened his hosting gig in much the same way as previous emcees: Running down the list of honorees with words of praise, and sprinkling in a few quips at the audience, made up largely of cabinet members and supporters. ā€œThey say this is the first time that a president of the of

President Trump Weighs in on Proposed Netflix-Warner Bros. Deal

President Trump addressed the proposed Netflix purchase of Warner Bros. for the first time since news of the deal broke last week.Ā  Trump was asked by reporters ahead of Sunday night’s Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C. what he thought of the proposed deal, which is valued at $82.7 billion. He praised Ted Sarandos, co-CEO

Editorial | Macron’s visit to China a counterpoint to rising tensions

The presidents of China and France witnessed the signing of 12 agreements ranging from nuclear energy to education to panda conservation during the latter’s visit to Beijing and Chengdu last week. That was a predictable outcome. What set the trip apart, along with Xi Jinping’s ā€œfriendly, candid and fruitfulā€ talks with Emmanuel Macron, was that

Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau go Instagram official

Dec. 7, 2025, 4:12 p.m. ET Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are Instagram official. The 41-year-old popstar on Dec. 6 posted a collection of photos and videos from her time in Tokyo, where she performed one of her last Lifetimes Tour concerts, and the post included snaps from her travels with

Kelsey Grammer praises Donald Trump as ‘maybe the greatest’ president

Dec. 7, 2025, 3:27 p.m. ET Kelsey Grammer is giving three cheers for President Donald Trump. The “Frasier” star, 70, praised Trump in an interview with Fox News Digital on Saturday, Dec. 6, ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors dinner in Washington. D.C. “I think he’s extraordinary,” Grammer told Fox. “He’s one of the greatest

Ted Sarandos Spoke With Donald Trump Ahead of Warner Bros. Deal

Netflix taking pole position to win the race for Warner Bros. Discovery sent shockwaves through Hollywood, partially because it was presumed that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison had the support of President Donald Trump. Now multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix may also have received some sort of blessing by Trump, or at

Elon Musk and Trump Officials Go to War With the E.U. Over $140M Fine

Elon Musk has called for the European Union (E.U.) to be abolished in response to the bloc’s issuance of a $140 million fine against his social media platform, X. He was joined in his fury by several top Trump Administration officials, who also lambasted the decision over the weekend. The European Commission announced a massive

Jeff Bezos Once Said The Universe Wants You To Be ‘Typical,’ But There Is A Price To Pay For Being Yourself As Well: ‘Not Easy Or Free’ – Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos used his final letter to shareholders as chief executive to deliver an unusually personal warning that companies and people only survive if they fight the powerful pull to become “typical.” Biology Lesson Becomes Blueprint For Corporate Originality Published April 15, 2021, the letter’s centerpiece section, titled “Differentiation is Survival

The Best L.A. Facialists to Get a Celebrity Red Carpet Glow

As awards season approaches, Los Angeles’ most sought-after facialists are in peak demand. The experts behind the industry’s most radiant complexions blend artistry and innovation, creating treatments that leave celebrities luminous and red carpet-ready. To experience the Hollywood glow-up yourself, here are the details on where stars go before their big night. Joanna Czech Joanna

US may end support for Ukraine war effort, says Donald Trump Jr | Donald Trump Jr

Donald Trump may walk away from the Ukrainian war, the US president’s oldest son has said in comments to a Middle East conference. In a lengthy tirade against the purpose of continued fighting in Ukraine, Donald Trump Jr also said Ukraine’s ā€œcorruptā€ rich had fled their country leaving ā€œwhat they believed to be the peasant

Celebrity couples who got engaged, but never married

Music composer Palash Muchhal stunned fans when he issued a public statement confirming that his wedding to cricketer Smriti Mandhana, scheduled for November 23, 2025, had been called off.Sharing a long, emotional note on his Instagram handle, Palash said, ā€œI have decided to move on in my life and step back from my personal relationship.ā€

Warren Buffett: Business titan and cover star

Warren Buffett’s face—always smiling, whether he’s slurpingĀ  a milkshake, brandishing a lasso, or palling around with fellow multibillionaire BillĀ Gates—has graced the cover of Fortune more than a dozenĀ times. And it’s no wonder: Buffett has been a towering figure in both business andĀ  investing for much of his—and Fortune’s—95 years on earth. (The magazine first hit

I want Trump to be lawful. That’s not a defense of cartels

Dec. 7, 2025, 4:01 a.m. ET I’ve written two recent columns expressing concerns about the Trump administration’s actions in campaign against suspected drug boats, one about the lack of congressional authorization and another about allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave ā€œkill them allā€ orders.Ā  Since those two columns, my emails have been full of

Angry Ginge’s sister Tasha says I’m a Celeb ā€˜was on bucket list’

Angela FergusonNorth West Family handout Angry Ginge’s sister Tasha says he is “smashing it” in the I’m a Celebrity jungle Angry Ginge’s sister Tasha has said going on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! had been on his bucket list. The social media personality, real name Morgan Burtwistle, is among the final four celebrities

‘SNL’ Weekend Update Trashes Trump’s Made-up Peace Prize, M.R.I. Delay

FIFA’s award, which was reportedly created for Trump after he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize, was “equally prestigious,” Colin Jost says sarcastically Saturday Night Liveā€˜s Weekend Update trashed the peace prize that the president of FIFA ā€œinventedā€ and and bestowed on Donald Trump this week. The award, Gianni Infantino claimed Friday during the World

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x