A New York Times headline suggested Monday that a number of crucial Donald Trump voters have become disillusioned by the president’s supposed failure to follow through on his campaign promise to win so much his supporters get sick of it.
The Times report, titled “Trump Voters in a Swing District Wonder When the ‘Winning’ Will Start,” even leads off with a quote from a disgruntled-sounding 44-year-old Pennsylvania resident.
“Just like any other damn president,” Theresa Remington told the paper. “Political bluster.”
That’s basically it for the supposedly disillusioned swing-state voters. The rest of the Times report is a measured look at how the president’s supporters and critics view his first months in office. There’s not a whole lot about disappointed voters who “wonder when the ‘winning’ will start.”
To be sure, the Times did manage to find a few Trump voters who are not entirely enthusiastic about the president’s to-date performance as commander in chief. However, the majority of those interviewed also said they are willing to cut him a break and say they understand the hold-up, which is not quite what the headline sells.
The Times reported that “interviews with voters across [Pennsylvania’s eighth district] suggest a nuanced view of a president getting his sea legs. Many still trust him but wonder why his deal-making instincts do not seem to be translating. They admire his zeal, but are occasionally baffled by his tweets. They insist he will be fine, but suggest gently that maybe Vice President Mike Pence should assume a more expansive role.”
The report also added, “Many seem inclined to give him the space.”
Where the Times reported some voters have become more muted in recent months, it adds that others have become emboldened. A wash, basically.
The report quotes one resident who said, “He thought he could go faster. I knew he couldn’t. You’ve got to get your rhythm.”
Another said, “It’s really disheartening what they’re putting him through.”
One Trump voter from Langhorne, Pa., an engineer who voted against his leadership, said Trump, “hasn’t succeeded, really.”
Ah ha! At last, a disillusioned Trump voter. Not really, though.
The Times report also noted the same engineer, “does not regret [voting for Trump], and he is eager to defend the president against the ‘nit-picking’ of opponents, particularly over any links to Russia. But he has come to consider the perils of a commander in chief plainly ‘trying to learn on the fly.'”
To be sure, the Times report is an interesting read. The reporter who put it together did his homework. It’s just that the headline oversells it. The title makes it sound as if something larger is happening to Trump’s base in a crucial Pennsylvania district.
As a reminder: Reporters are not responsible for writing headlines. Journalists do the reporting, and editors are usually responsible for picking out strong headlines to match the story. If an editor is responsible for this Times headline, then a certain author should probably be having a very long talk with his supervisors.
