Swing voters who backed Joe Biden in 2020 before switching to Donald Trump in 2024 have quickly become disillusioned with the president, while continuing to express concern about the economy and the direction of US politics.
The voters, drawn from different swing states, have taken part in monthly online focus groups throughout 2026 as part of the Swing Voter Project. The project has examined their views of Mr Trump, the issues shaping their decisions and how they might vote in future.
The discussions suggest that many participants connect their feelings about the economy directly to decisions made by the Trump administration. Economic concerns remain central to how they assess the president’s performance.
The findings also point to dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party. While the voters have turned against Mr Trump, that has not translated into broad enthusiasm for Democrats.
Instead, voters on both the left and right appear to be moving towards a shared interest in economic populism, suggesting an area of overlap despite their wider political differences.
Artificial intelligence is another issue attracting widespread concern. Participants have raised questions about the technology and the growing spread of data centres.
The Swing Voter Project is run by messaging firm Engagious and market research recruiting firm Nelson Recruiting, with NPR as a partner. Its latest discussion brings together the main lessons from the voters’ responses ahead of Election Day.
