The NPR Politics Podcast

Episode: Why these swing voters say they’re frustrated with Trump
Date: January 22, 2026
Summary by an Expert Podcast Summarizer

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, NPR launches a new recurring segment featuring swing voters—specifically, Pennsylvanians who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024. Hosts Miles Parks, Ashley Lopez, and Mara Liasson explore why these elusive voters swung from one party to another, what they currently think of both parties, and how Trump's presidency is aligning (or not) with their expectations. The focus group approach is designed to dig deeper than polling: instead of just “what,” it explores the “why” behind opinions on hot-button issues like the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Makes This Focus Group Different? (02:16)

• NPR is partnering with Engages and researcher Rich Tao to conduct recurring focus groups, not traditional polls.
• These are in-depth, unscripted conversations—meant to understand the reasoning behind voter opinions, not extrapolate trends.
  • Mara Liasson (02:23): “No, it’s not polling... This is the why, not the... this is not scientific. It’s only a small group of voters... But we do want to know why they feel the way they do.”

2. Who Are These Swing Voters? (03:22, 03:55)

• Group composition: Pennsylvania, critical swing state
  • 7 Republicans, 6 Independents, 1 Democrat (all Biden 2020, Trump 2024 voters)
• Many are not party loyalists; swing voters' defining trait is dissatisfaction with both options.

3. Gut Feelings: Describing the Parties in One Word (04:21-05:10)

• Descriptions of Democrats:
  • “Distracted,” “Unprepared,” “Panicked,” “Sensitive,” “Whiny,” “Scary,” “Disoriented,” “Corrupt,” “Weak” (two said “Weak”)
• Descriptions of Republicans:
  • “Trump,” “Weak,” “Conservative,” “Bewildered,” “Outspoken,” “Patriotic,” “Loyal,” “Immoral”

Mara Liasson: “One of the features that we know about swing voters is they don’t like either party. That’s why they swing.” (04:55)

4. Big Picture Takeaways: Why Did They Choose Trump, and What Are Their Worries? (05:25-06:34)

• Main Concerns:
  • The economy is their primary focus.
  • Foreign policy is often seen as a distraction.
  • Disapproval of Trump’s style—his meanness and divisiveness continues to grate on swing voters.
  • Some wish he was less publicly combative, as it puts them in uncomfortable social positions.

Ashley Lopez:

“A lot of the swing voters that, you know, we heard from... the way in which Trump talks about his opponents... make their lives harder because they have to justify voting for Trump all the time. And they feel like this puts them in a weird position with other people.” (05:48)

5. Drilling Down on Immigration (06:34-10:12)

• View on Deportations:
  • Broad support for deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
  • Most don’t support detaining those without criminal records—concern for profiling and overreach.
• On ICE:
  • 8 of 14 voters think ICE is “getting this right.”
  • 6 say ICE is going too far, especially in the interior.
  • Specific worry: U.S. citizens being targeted/harassed.
• Notable Quote:

Hasan (independent): “It’s not just, quote, unquote, dangerous folks that are getting deported. It’s folks that are not dangerous... if you have an accent, you’re pretty much subject to, you know, ICE going after you.” (08:01)

• On the Renee Macklin Goode Incident:
  • Most did NOT assign blame to Trump for the shooting by an ICE officer.
  • Reason: See the president as removed from individual agents’ actions.
  • Focused concerns on officer training and protocol.

6. The Economy: Hope Turns to Frustration (12:06-14:43)

• General Sentiment:

  • Voters feel more economic anxiety than they did before Trump’s return, despite hopes he’d turn things around.
  • Gas prices going down is seen as a Trump win, but most expenses remain high.

• Voter Highlight—Kimberly (independent):

  • “I really don’t see the President speaking to working individuals. And I think working individuals are like an element that have been forgotten by both parties. But [Trump’s] trying to get back at his political adversaries. I see a lot of that, but I don’t see, you know, things really happening that’s going to benefit the common person.” (12:48)

• White House Response:

  • White House wants Trump to focus on economic plans and messaging.
  • Voters dislike being told the economy is great when their lived experience says otherwise.

7. Foreign Policy: A Growing Distraction (14:35-16:35)

• Sentiment:

  • Voters did not object to the raid that ousted Maduro in Venezuela, but are wary of further U.S. interventions.
  • Feel Trump’s focus on international affairs distracts from domestic priorities.
  • Some apparently voted for Trump expecting him to be more isolationist.

• Link to Economic Anxiety:

  • Grace (Republican):

    “When the invasion occurred with Venezuela... I have this feeling of I don’t know what’s going to happen next.” (15:31)

  • This unpredictability is linked to economic uncertainty and worry.

• Moderator Rich Tao’s assessment:

  • “Their frustration here is with the international activities... They think the president isn’t focused on what matters most to them day to day.” (16:35)

8. Assessing Trump, Looking Ahead (17:00-18:34)

• Job Approval:

  • 8 out of 14 voters disapprove of Trump’s job so far.
  • Few report serious remorse about voting for him; frustration with Democrats remains strong.
  • Slight “buyer’s remorse,” but not a full break from Trump.

• Blame for the Economy:

  • Some still blame Biden; group says this will shift “in a year” if things don't improve.

• Notable Quote:

  • “You would think with those kind of numbers, you would hear someone at least being... Democrat curious or something. I did not get a sense of that... a lot of them said, even when it comes to the economy, they’re willing to wait and see.” (Ashley Lopez, 17:41)

9. Next Steps: Where This Segment Goes (18:34-19:23)

• Upcoming Focus:
  • Next month: Arizona swing voters (Biden 2020 / Trump 2024)
  • Ongoing question: How much will Trump’s omnipresence impact midterms and other Republican candidates, even though Trump himself isn’t on the 2026 ballot?

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Mara Liasson:
  • “It’s not polling... This is the why.” (02:23)
• Ashley Lopez:
  • “The swing voters that... we heard from, the way in which Trump talks about his opponents... make their lives harder because they have to justify voting for Trump.” (05:48)
• Focus group—on Democrats:
  • “Distracted,” “Unprepared,” “Whiny,” “Scary,” “Corrupt,” “Weak.” (04:33-04:40)
• Focus group—on Republicans:
  • “Trump,” “Conservative,” “Outspoken,” “Patriotic,” “Immoral.” (04:46-04:52)
• Hasan (independent) on ICE:
  • “It’s not just, quote, unquote, dangerous folks that are getting deported. It’s folks that are not dangerous...” (08:01)
• Kimberly (independent) on the economy:
  • “I don’t see the president speaking to working individuals... he’s trying to get back at his political adversaries, I see a lot of that, but I don’t see... benefit the common person.” (12:48)
• Grace (Republican) on foreign policy & anxiety:
  • “When the invasion occurred with Venezuela... I don’t know what’s going to happen next...” (15:31)
• Rich Tao, moderator:
  • “Their frustration here is with the international activities... They think the president isn’t focused on what matters most to them day to day.” (16:35)

Conclusion

This episode introduced NPR’s in-depth focus group series with Pennsylvania swing voters. It revealed a complicated, dissatisfied electorate—frustrated with both parties, troubled by the economy, and weary of presidential distractions on divisive rhetoric and foreign interventions. Despite disappointment in Trump’s first year back in office, there’s little enthusiasm for switching back to the Democrats, hinting at a deeper malaise and political fatigue that could shape the 2026 midterms. Future episodes will revisit similar swing voters in other battleground states, tracking their shifting opinions as the political season unfolds.