Swing voters in key states described the country as “messy,” “divided” and “scary” ahead of Election Day, as they weighed President Donald Trump’s record against their choices in the midterm elections. All voters in NPR’s Swing Shift project have supported Trump at some point over the past decade, and most backed him in 2024.

Their views of his second term were largely negative or mixed. Only two of the 11 voters told NPR they were happy with his performance, with several raising concerns about the war in Iran and high energy prices.

Gerald, who voted for Trump in 2024, remains firmly supportive, giving the president an A+++ and voting for Republican candidates Mike Collins for Senate and Rick Jackson for governor in Georgia. He said he voted Republican across the ballot, except where a Democrat was running unopposed, in which case he wrote in his own name.

Wally, another 2024 Trump voter in Georgia, gave the president an F and said he did not consider him an effective leader. Concerned about inflation, Wally said he had little faith that one politician or election could solve the problem. He voted for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, and also gave both parties in Congress an F.

Other voters voiced reservations even when they supported Trump. Theresa, who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024, gave the president a C-, citing his earlier expectation that the war would last only a few weeks. Lee, one of the two voters satisfied with Trump’s second term, gave him an A- but said the war in Iran was taking too long.

The voters’ choices in state and congressional races did not always match their views of the president. In Pennsylvania, three of the four Swing Shift voters said they planned to vote for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, even though three had backed Trump in 2024. Theresa said she intended to support Shapiro, while allowing that she might change her mind.

Stephen, who lives in a competitive Pennsylvania congressional district, said he would vote to re-elect Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick but might choose Democrats or write in a candidate elsewhere on the ballot. John, from Philadelphia, was the only one of the four Pennsylvania voters who said he had voted for the Republican in the governor’s race. He described the country as “anxious” and predicted that a Democratic midterm victory could bring investigations, impeachment discussions and gridlock in Washington.

The project’s findings illustrate a challenge for Republicans: support from voters who backed Trump in 2024 does not necessarily translate into votes for other Republican candidates. Voters are assessing the president even though he is not on the midterm ballot, while making separate decisions about races for the House, Senate and governor.

Sources: NPR News.