WHERE I STAND with Richard French
Oct 13, 2026 · 4 min · 2 segments
Trump is historically unpopular, the state of the economy, his handling of the war in Iran, his misplaced priorities and just about every other issue are all underwater. The palpable fear among…
The state of the economy, his handling of the war in Iran, his misplaced priorities, and just about every other issue all find him underwater.
Consequently, his party, that, as we know, have abetted him at every whim, are gonna have to face the music in three Tuesdays.
But when we look at states in play, places like Kansas, Iowa, Texas, and Ohio, just to name a few, the palpable fear among Republicans is not that their Democratic opponents are so beloved.
It's that the endless benefit of the doubt the base has had for Trump seems to have been, at least for many, exhausted.
In what has been coined by noted pollster Charlie Cook, this sense of abandonment and being duped that has metastasized into a massive enthusiasm gap, he dubbed this the red undertow.
Cook believes these former Trump champions have so soured on a man they, in some cases, voted for three times, that they are very likely to simply stay home on Election Day.
The Times reporters found many of those voters saying things like, "He's not making any sense." Others said they've grown tired of his divider-in-chief shtick, calling it exhausting.
One younger voter who supported Trump two years ago said in Trump's own words when he asked supporters to vote as if he was on the ballot, this voter saying, quote, "That's exactly what I'm gonna do, not vote." Going on to cite Trump's promise to keep us out of wars, only to launch a war of choice in Iran.
Across the district, these reporters heard constant refrains of being fed up with MAGA firebrands, and even though conservatives themselves, these voters were looking for a return to establishment candidates.
In one telling exchange, a one-time staunch Trump defender said of the president that he seems to have lost his way, focusing on ballrooms instead of people's pocketbook issues.
The man said, quote, "He's losing touch with the American people." End quote.
For what it's worth, I've seen a similar change in friends who were once ride-or-die Trumpers.
No more bumper stickers on their cars, and I haven't seen a red hat on their heads in more than a year.
I think for the committed MAGA voter, they're still with him every step of the way.
But for conservatives who give him the benefit of the doubt or moderates who believe that he was worth a try, they're either fed up and going another direction, or they'll just stay home in three weeks.
If I'm a Republican on the ballot, that's not what I wanna hear right about now.
The state of the economy, his handling of the war in Iran, his misplaced priorities, and just about every other issue all find him underwater.
Consequently, his party, that, as we know, have abetted him at every whim, are gonna have to face the music in three Tuesdays.
But when we look at states in play, places like Kansas, Iowa, Texas, and Ohio, just to name a few, the palpable fear among Republicans is not that their Democratic opponents are so beloved.
It's that the endless benefit of the doubt the base has had for Trump seems to have been, at least for many, exhausted.
In what has been coined by noted pollster Charlie Cook, this sense of abandonment and being duped that has metastasized into a massive enthusiasm gap, he dubbed this the red undertow.
Cook believes these former Trump champions have so soured on a man they, in some cases, voted for three times, that they are very likely to simply stay home on Election Day.
The Times reporters found many of those voters saying things like, "He's not making any sense." Others said they've grown tired of his divider-in-chief shtick, calling it exhausting.
One younger voter who supported Trump two years ago said in Trump's own words when he asked supporters to vote as if he was on the ballot, this voter saying, quote, "That's exactly what I'm gonna do, not vote." Going on to cite Trump's promise to keep us out of wars, only to launch a war of choice in Iran.
Across the district, these reporters heard constant refrains of being fed up with MAGA firebrands, and even though conservatives themselves, these voters were looking for a return to establishment candidates.
In one telling exchange, a one-time staunch Trump defender said of the president that he seems to have lost his way, focusing on ballrooms instead of people's pocketbook issues.
The man said, quote, "He's losing touch with the American people." End quote.
For what it's worth, I've seen a similar change in friends who were once ride-or-die Trumpers.
No more bumper stickers on their cars, and I haven't seen a red hat on their heads in more than a year.
I think for the committed MAGA voter, they're still with him every step of the way.
But for conservatives who give him the benefit of the doubt or moderates who believe that he was worth a try, they're either fed up and going another direction, or they'll just stay home in three weeks.
If I'm a Republican on the ballot, that's not what I wanna hear right about now.
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