In one of the scariest moments in modern history, we're doing our best at ScheerPost to pierce the fog of lies that conceal it but we need some help to pay our writers and staff. Please consider a tax-deductible donation.
Joshua Scheer
We are starting to see buyer’s remorse across the political spectrum. As the AP reports—stating the obvious—polls show Latino voters breaking from the president, while at the same time Tucker Carlson is publicly apologizing for supporting him. Even within MAGA, cracks are forming, underscored by the resignation of Joe Kent.
But the truth is simple: we’ve been trapped in the “evils of two lessers” for a long time. When the choice is Harris, Biden, or this current chaos, it begins to feel like the same continuum—different faces, same system. As one reported insider from the Biden White House suggested, the outcome may not have been meaningfully different.
And now we have confirmation from inside that system.
Speaking on Face the Nation—on CBS, one of Trump’s favored networks—Amos Hochstein, a senior energy adviser in the Biden State Department, revealed that the Biden administration had already modeled the very same kinds of strikes now being carried out. These were the same types of actions the UN had previously condemned as a “dangerous escalation.” Hochstein went further, admitting the administration may have “had” to carry them out—even though last summer’s war was launched by Israel and did not involve the U.S. at that stage.
“I was supportive of President Trump joining in, in June, to take the strikes that we had thought internally in the Biden administration we may have to take if there was a second term,” Hochstein said.
Read that again.
It doesn’t matter who sits in the Oval Office — empire does what empire does. If anything, Trump at least has the temerity to be openly cruel, instead of gaslighting the public the way Joe Biden and his handpicked clown Kamala Harris did with their impassioned speeches about how “terrible” Israel was being and how “offensive” it all was. That’s why the concept of the “evil of two lessers” matters. I’ve written before about whether Kamala was really the lesser evil — but of course, that’s the point. They’re both part of the same machine, and the machine itself is the problem.
One thing is clear: this is about empire. And if anything is going to change, it will require confronting—and ending—the tyranny of leadership structures not just here, but across the world.
Getting back to the AP and its poll with a new AP‑NORC survey of more than 2,500 adults shows deepening dissatisfaction with Donald Trump among several of the very groups that helped return him to the White House. The poll, conducted April 16–20 as the Iran war continued to push up gas prices, finds that Hispanic adults, younger Americans, and men — all central to Trump’s 2024 coalition — are now registering sharp declines in approval.
The AP‑NORC data suggests this discontent has been building for months, not simply in response to the latest economic shocks or the escalating conflict with Iran.
Hispanic Adults: A Dramatic Slide
Support among Hispanic Americans has fallen 16 points since March 2025, with only about one‑quarter approving of Trump’s presidency. Key drivers of the decline include:
- Immigration policy: Only about one‑quarter approve of his handling of immigration, with younger Hispanics especially opposed.
- Economic strain: Just 2 in 10 say they approve of his approach to the cost of living, and few describe the economy as “good.”
Young Adults: Broad Disapproval
Approval among Americans under 45 has dropped from 39% to 28% over the past year. Younger women are especially critical of Trump’s economic management, with only about 2 in 10 approving — and just 7% of younger Hispanic women expressing support. Even among white adults under 45, only about one‑third approve of his overall performance.
Men: Erosion Among a Core 2024 Bloc
Men helped fuel Trump’s return to office, including modest gains among Black and Hispanic men in 2024. But approval among men has slipped from 47% to 38% since the start of his second term. Black men are particularly disillusioned, with only about 1 in 10 approving of his handling of the cost of living.
Inside the GOP: MAGA Holds, But the Rest of the Party Wavers
Republican approval remains high but is slipping:
- About two‑thirds of Republicans approve of Trump’s job performance, down from 82% early in his term.
- Only about half approve of his handling of the cost of living.
- Younger Republicans are especially frustrated.
The exception is Trump’s MAGA base, where roughly 9 in 10 continue to back him — including on Iran. But only 54% of Republicans identify as MAGA, and among non‑MAGA Republicans, approval drops to 44%.
The Bigger Picture
The AP‑NORC findings point to a presidency facing growing skepticism from the very demographics that expanded Trump’s coalition in 2024. Economic pain, war‑driven price spikes, and disillusionment with immigration and foreign policy appear to be reshaping public opinion — even among groups that once leaned his way.
The polling slump comes as prominent right‑wing media figures are openly breaking with Trump over the Iran war. NBC News reported that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson — once one of Trump’s most influential boosters — publicly apologized for having “misled” people in his past support for the president, saying he now feels “implicated” in the crisis. Carlson’s reversal is part of a broader fracture on the right: figures ranging from Alex Jones to Marjorie Taylor Greene have turned against Trump, with some even calling for the 25th Amendment. Influential podcasters like Joe Rogan and Theo Von have also criticized Trump’s handling of Iran and the economic fallout. Trump has responded by attacking his former allies as “low IQ,” underscoring how the war is reshaping loyalties inside the conservative media sphere.
In the end, what these fractures, polls, and insider admissions all point to is a country waking up to the machinery that has been running beneath every administration. The disillusionment isn’t just about one president or one party — it’s about a system that keeps delivering the same outcomes no matter who occupies the Oval Office. As voters, media figures, and even former allies begin to distance themselves, the façade of choice grows harder to maintain. If there is any path forward, it begins with recognizing that the crisis is larger than a single leader. It is structural. And unless that structure is confronted directly, the cycle will continue — different names, same consequences, and a public left to bear the cost.
Editor’s Note: At a moment when the once vaunted model of responsible journalism is overwhelmingly the play thing of self-serving billionaires and their corporate scribes, alternatives of integrity are desperately needed, and ScheerPost is one of them. Please support our independent journalism by contributing to our online donation platform, Network for Good, or send a check to our new PO Box. We can’t thank you enough, and promise to keep bringing you this kind of vital news.
You can also make a donation to our PayPal or subscribe to our Patreon.