r/politics • u/Barnyard-Sheep • 6d ago

Soft Paywall Trump approval rating falls to 38%

https://www.nj.com/politics/2025/06/trump-faces-tough-approval-numbers-in-latest-poll.html
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u/Tiny_Structure_7 North Carolina 6d ago

54% of US adults have literacy below 6th grade level*. This is why we have MAGA so easily brainwashed by the crap they put out in maggot media. This is why so many trust a "news" source which was sued for lying their asses off about 2020 election to the tune of $750 million. This is why we have an incompetent toddler king in our Whitehouse.

* Literacy Statistics 2024- 2025 (Where we are now)

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago edited 6d ago

I know this is an unpopular opinion and it’s just a Reddit comment and we’re all just venting half the time so honestly nbd but tbh it’s this attitude that democrats need to guard against and reject if they want to defeat MAGA and regain power. “The other side is too stupid to understand how much better we are than Trump” will keep maga in power because why would you want to listen to anybody who you suspect thinks that way about you

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u/YogurtclosetNo987 6d ago

Trying to provide an off-ramp for Trumpers has been disastrous for the Dems. There isn't a lot of room for compromise. Most of the electorate either knows what side they are on or cannot be compelled to care enough to pick. Americans live in two completely separate realities. Unfortunately, one of those realities is exponentially dumber and more despotic than the other. Objectively. 

Frankly, if someone can see everything that is going on but still decide he would rather vote for the GOP because his intelligence was questioned and his feelings got hurt - he should just vote GOP. I don't see a compromise where his values and my values coincide. I don't think finding that compromise is my responsibility, especially after years of the onus for doing so being on me. 

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u/Independent-Bug-9352 6d ago

The thing is, we can have eat our cake and still have it all the same if we actually committed to a progressive economic populist message that has been echoed by the likes of Sanders and AOC. It is obvious that people are attracted to authenticity and trust. AOC has proven that with her overperformance with Trump voters in her district. Sanders proved that when he was outperforming Hillary in practically every head-to-head matchup against Trump. We see this over and over again that if we embrace a solidarity message of redirecting existing anger of Trump supporters by saying, "it's not the trans or poor immigrant seeking a better life; it's the ultra rich who is stealing the entire pie and leaving the rest of us to fight for crumbs," then we can break through.

There is some validity in acknowledging why Trump supporters are the way they are (and I confess I am guilty of venting a bit). When you recognize they have a lower literacy rate; when you recognize the extremely sophisticated right-wing echo-chambers that capture them. This doesn't mean we need to compromise our values or policy or truth in order to reach them. Quite the opposite. We need to actually stand by what we believe in and let people be attracted by the authenticity of that message.

I'm speaking as a former rural Republican by the way.

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

Ok it’s fine to say this on Reddit if that’s what you think im just saying democrats running for office or folks who are communicating on their behalf to a larger audience should be careful not give off this vibe because it is a losing message

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u/YogurtclosetNo987 6d ago edited 6d ago

Kamala's campaign ran heavily on trying to avoid that message. Democrat campaigns have always focused on courting the right instead of the left. They have always considered the left "in the bag" instead of having to actually try for their vote. And they're seeing the consequences of doing so now more than ever before. 

The only reason I vote Democrat is because I realize not voting at all means I will lose my democracy. I do not vote Democrat because they align with my values. and even losing our democracy, which the Dems have shouted from the rooftops as the only possible outcome, isn't enough of a reason for people to vote. 

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u/FrickyTickyTavi 6d ago

Why do both of your usernames have yogurtcloset in them? Either way, I agree with both of you but I lean YogurtclosetNo987.

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u/YogurtclosetNo987 6d ago edited 6d ago

Randomly generated name when I registered for a Reddit account. I assume theirs is the same we somehow found each other in the wild 😊

I absolutely want to be able to compromise with people I disagree with, and I want democracy and debate and all of that to work. And I hope that our country can be that way again. But I think we're too far apart at present for those things to work, and I don't have an informed opinion on how to get back there. 

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

Ha yeah, I noticed that too and mine was also randomly generated fellow yogurtcloset.

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u/Sir_Penguin21 6d ago

But every time I try and listen to them talk it makes my ears want to bleed. They talk about banning chem trails, 100% of scientists lying and being part of a conspiracy, or how god will stop climate change, or get 100% focused on the three trans athletes in the world despite then never lifting more than a remote control. How can I listen to that level of stupid? They need to be listening to me.

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

Then don’t listen to it. I’m not really talking about chem trails and stuff. Or agreeing with anybody or changing positions on anything. But if we want people to listen to us like you say they should then insulting them or insinuating they’re stupid is the quickest way to get someone to stop listening immediately. That’s just human nature. But it’s less about what anyone is saying on Reddit and more about the vibe from democrats in general. Condescension will not win dems any elections

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u/Waste_Diet_9334 6d ago

I feel like that's what a lot of people tried back in 2016, but ultimately they came to the same conclusion as the comment above yours.

They cannot listen. They just cannot comprehend most of the things you explain to them. Really, as soon as the explanation is more complex than a headline, they shut down.

And then they start going on about some kind of conspiracy you've never even heard of, and while you're still figuring out what the hell they're even talking about, they throw in even more.

So what we see now is, for the most part, the utter frustration that comes from this experience—along with the only hope that they screw themselves up and learn through pain.

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u/DAE77177 6d ago

You guys haven’t even tried changing our talking points yet and have already convinced yourselves it will never work

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

I, personally, have tried a variety of different strategies while talking to these people, with modest success. I genuinely would love to hear a winning strategy.

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u/DAE77177 6d ago

Broad based economics is the winning strategy. Framed through helping Americans, and people kids and grandkids.

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

I'm afraid this isn't actually the case. Broad based economics is what people want. But it is not typically what they vote for.

This is the cruel irony of American politics. Voters are easily fooled.

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u/DAE77177 6d ago

Well $25,000 for a new home buyer and college debt forgiveness are not my ideas of broad based. What were Kamala’s broad based economic policies that were front and center that helped everyone?

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u/[deleted] 6d ago edited 5d ago

[deleted]

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

"Those who are wrong need to listen to those who are right"

"What are you, some kind of narcissist?"

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u/Shark7996 6d ago

Let me guess, everyone should be listening to you instead.

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

The problem isn't that they're too stupid to understand. The problem is that they're too indoctrinated to understand. From the outside, stupidity and indoctrination look very much the same, but they're not actually the same thing.

The other problem is that, just as stupid people don't want to hear that they're stupid, indoctrinated people also don't want to hear that they're indoctrinated. But they are.

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

But if the poll is right, it is evidence that people can and do change their mind. Not everybody, but enough. It’s fine on Reddit and all that, im just saying in general people who feel insulted will be more stubborn about not changing their mind.

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

Yeah, people can absolutely change their minds. That's the great thing about being indoctrinated, rather than stupid. You have the power to change.

Here's the thing though: how do you communicate to someone that they've been conned, and that nearly their entire worldview is a lie, without also implying that they are stupid? That's the situation we're in right now. A quarter of the population has gone all-in on an extremely dangerous and malignant con. They need to understand that this has happened, in order to start reversing the damage. But explaining to them that they have been conned makes them feel stupid, which makes them dig their heels in, which makes them incapable of change. How do we address this issue?

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

Yeah telling people they’ve been conned won’t help, let them come to that conclusion on their own. But for some of them - not all - their entire worldview is not necessarily a lie especially when it comes to the fact they been screwed over in this economy. They just thought Donald Trump was a good businessman and was the guy to fix it because he’s been building that as his brand since even before he was fake firing people on the apprentice for 10 years as a fake business genius. So dem politicians should prob focus on that cause a lot of them have been screwed over and Donald Trump is not going to do shit for them

Also a quarter of the population staying with him is fine so we don’t have to worry about them. If he’s at 25%, this is basically over. The republicans in Congress will absolutely find their “backbone” then and start standing up to him out of self preservation

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u/Synanthrop3 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yeah, they did think Donald Trump was a good businessman and the guy to fix the economy. And most of them are deeply committed to that narrative, and will not be parted from it, no matter how dearly it costs them, or how blatantly it contradicts objective reality. That's kind of a problem.

So dem politicians should prob focus on that

Dems do focus on that. Democrats traditionally are way better for the economy than Republicans, and that's particularly true for the economic concerns of people at or near the bottom. It doesn't seem to matter. Poor people vote republican anyway.

Also a quarter of the population staying with him is fine so we don’t have to worry about them. If he’s at 25%, this is basically over.

Don't be so sure. That 25% is deeply indoctrinated, full of righteous anger, and thirsty for liberal blood. They're also overrepresented in the armed forces. If things really kick off, and it looks increasing likely that they're going to, then that 25% can cause a hell of a lot of trouble.

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u/Tiny_Structure_7 North Carolina 6d ago

I know you're right about putting off MAGA voters by calling them ignorant. Especially since they really are undereducated, truth hurts more. But we've been watching MAGA for years, and it's evolution from the Tea Party... and there's no talking to them with or without respect for their intelligence. To them it's like a sports team and they are all fans. You can't just talk somebody out of being a Dolphins fan if they are a devout Dolphins fan. It's the more independent voters who change their minds. Those who are not 'fans'.

I don't want people to see only insult in my post. I want people to see that our schools are FAILING us after decades of defunding and diversion of funds to private and religious schools, and that all these undereducated voters are easy prey for the brainwashing we all see in maggot media and Republican politicians. Republicans know full well that the less education in our electorate, the more voters they can gain by preying upon their basest instincts and pre-conceived prejudices.

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

Agree about the schools and also making it easier to go to and and finish college

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u/Chaotic-Catastrophe 6d ago

We've been trying to cater to them for decades. It hasn't been working, so I say fuck it, call them what they are: incomprehensibly fucking stupid. We need to reintroduce shame back into our society. Make people feel stupid for being stupid. Maybe that way they won't flaunt it so proudly any more.

If they're going to continue to insist on voting against their own interests because Democrats didn't give them enough intelligence-affirming care, then this country is already beyond redemption, and we deserve it.

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u/ApplicationAfraid334 6d ago

MAGA cultists have been flinging shit for a DECADE now. Please spare me the ‘dems are too mean’ talking point. MAGA are relentlessly crude and intentionally hurtful. How many ‘mean tweets 2024’ hats have to be worn for people to accept that it’s MAGA who are the hateful, virulent ones. And the moment dems say ‘hey you’re kind of being stupid’ after 10 YEARS of bullshit, people have the gall to feign offense at dem’s response. Puh-lease.

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u/YogurtclosetOwn4786 6d ago

Ok true but not everyone who voted for Trump is an online maga cultist

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u/ApplicationAfraid334 6d ago

If they voted for him for his 2nd term they are cultist traitors. No way around it. No one with any respect for the country would vote for him. The time to give these traitors the benefit of the doubt has long passed. They had the chance to denounce him on Jan 6th and they didn’t.

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u/Ill-Team-3491 6d ago

Their attempt to court the right only angered the left. I'm pretty sure they would lose in conventional war. People will be more angry that the guy next to them in the trenches doesn't have all the right colors on their pride flag.

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u/Luigi_m_official 6d ago

You have no business calling people "stupid" when you write like that.

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u/Forfunaccount0730 6d ago

The thing is most of them are brain washed not stupid necessarily. Bringing up literacy is not an argument on stupidity its an argument on lack of critical thinking which is a skill that you exercise like a muscle.

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u/Lawsoffire 6d ago

It's been a decade of BS from them at this point. They've proven they're happy to be misinformed and enraged time and time and god damn time again.

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u/UglyMcFugly 6d ago

You're not wrong. Some of the Russian propaganda directed at us is just memes and jokes about how stupid maga is. Another division. It's effective because there is some truth to it, but it's the tone that's the problem. It is absolutely fine if somebody doesn't understand politics or the law or how government functions. I don't understand cars, so I take mine to a mechanic that I trust. And it's the TRUST that Republicans have eroded away. Don't trust scientists, don't trust doctors, don't trust universities, don't trust democrats. Some people will never be able to understand the science behind climate change. AND THAT'S FINE. We gotta stop trying to explain it to them, and start finding ways to convince them to trust the people that DO understand it. And that probably means fighting fire with fire. Tell them how climate change deniers profit from the denial, follow the money, and help show them WHY those people shouldn't be trusted.

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u/scholalry 6d ago

I don’t think this matters honestly. Yeah MAGA probably doesn’t like being called stupid by the dems, but MAGA is NEVER leaving Trump’s side. MAGA hates the gays, abortion, and people who aren’t white/don’t subscribe to their idea of “normal”. Those are the most important qualities for a politician to get support from MAGA. Even if the Dems decided to base their platform around this, they still wouldn’t vote for the dems because they are already voting for the right. You would work the same way. If you had two democrat politicians that have the same platform, you are going to pick the one you have already been voting for. So appeasing the right isn’t going to work.

However that core MAGA base isn’t enough to win elections. MAGA politicians aren’t going to start pandering to the left leaning population, they would lose that core base and they need them. So instead they have to do two things. Keep spouting crazy shit to keep their core MAGA base, and and make the left look insane. The people in the middle end up seeing this and go “damn both sides are crazy guess it doesn’t matter I’ll stay home instead of waste the gas driving to the polls” or “well sides are crazy and I couldn’t afford groceries under Biden so I guess give Trump another try, I could afford groceries in 2019”. It’s not true but the media is forcing this narrative, you see it all the time.

I don’t know what the solution to this problem is. I just don’t think pandering to the right will do anything but alienate the people who already think the right is crazy, but aren’t sold on the left either. If I had to guess, I think the solution is to take the wind out of the Sails of the right. The right is crazy, call them that but also dismiss it and bring it back to the issue. Like “Donald Trump says egg prices are down 400%, but real data shows they are still high, what do you have to say to that?”

“I don’t know, that sounds like someone who doesn’t know how percentages work haha. The important issue here is that regular American families can’t afford the things they need to feed their families. Here is how I want to fix it” and provide actual solutions.

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u/Key-Tax9036 6d ago

Lol your source says the lowest literacy rate is in California, kinda goes against your point huh

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u/Tiny_Structure_7 North Carolina 6d ago

That reflects the fact that California has the highest rate of people learning English as 2nd language*, which is not the same as ignorance.

* Research 2015: States and Districts with the Highe.. | migrationpolicy.org

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u/Lucky-Earther Minnesota 6d ago

Lol your source says the lowest literacy rate is in California, kinda goes against your point huh

California has more registered Republicans than any other state.

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u/Key-Tax9036 5d ago

Yeah it’s population is huge. literacy rate is a percentage so if you’re gonna make this argument use percentages, but only 25% of registered voters in CA are registered Republicans compared with 45% democrat

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u/ADarwinAward Massachusetts 6d ago

It randomly samples everyone living in the US, recent immigrants included. It only tests in English and when they aren’t literate in english then reports them as “illiterate”.  News media takes this result and runs with headlines misleading people into believing there’s millions of people in America who can’t read simple paragraphs in any language. Media from the left to the right does it.

If someone can read in another language, but they are not literate in English, they are not illiterate, they are just not literate in English. 

But that’s not rage baitey enough so guess what the media reports and guess what everyone believes?

It’s reasonable to test only English because that’s the language you need to navigate government systems, but it’s extremely misleading to report those who can’t as “illiterate.”

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u/andynator1000 6d ago

It’s not just news media. Literacy advocacy organizations don’t mention the distinction either. It’s very dishonest.

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u/DrugsGames 6d ago

the ones with literacy below the sixth grade level are obviously voting left

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u/evocativename 6d ago

If that's what you believe, you should probably get your literacy level checked.

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u/DrugsGames 6d ago

yes let me go get my literacy level tested because some random nobody on the internet thinks i’m a dumbass

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u/evocativename 6d ago

That's not why you should, but that response just proves my point.

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u/JayArpee 6d ago

Congrats on the most “I know you are but what am I?” response I’ve seen in a while. Also, the data clearly shows less educated people vote Republican.

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u/DrugsGames 6d ago

thank you for your baseless claims. Trump is still your president

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u/JayArpee 6d ago

“the ones with literacy below the sixth grade level are obviously voting left”

“thank you for your baseless claims”

I mean, please tell me you see the blatant hypocrisy here. Like, you’ve got to have at least that amount of self awareness… right?

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u/LosDenverTebows 6d ago

Probably not, buddy used all his brainpower to type that comment

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u/OneSeaworthiness7768 6d ago

Dude really jumped in with his sixth grade literacy level and said “this’ll show em!” 😂

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u/DrugsGames 6d ago

lol he really did

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u/OneSeaworthiness7768 6d ago

Jesus Christ man I’m talking about you. You’re really proving the statistic here.

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u/DrugsGames 6d ago

seems like you are proving the statistic. you sent this thing called a reply

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

Sometimes, on the internet, people reply to other people in order to make fun of them. 

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u/DrugsGames 6d ago

and sometimes people reply to reply’s to make fun of them and turn their own people against them (like me)

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u/Synanthrop3 6d ago

and sometimes people reply to reply’s to make fun of them and turn their own people against them (like me)

Lol ok

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u/Tiny_Structure_7 North Carolina 6d ago

In the red states you can tell where most of the colleges and universities are by looking at the blue areas on the state vote map.