Conservative Podcaster Lays Out 7 Ways Trump ‘Alienated’ His Voters

Popular conservative radio host Michael Savage on Tuesday took to X, formerly Twitter, to lay out seven actions by President Donald Trump that Savage believes alienated his typically ironclad base.

Savage said Trump has estranged his most ardent supporters because he is “escalating instead of defusing” the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine; he pushed a “bloated pork barrel” spending bill in Congress and attacked Elon Musk; he’s “hiding the Epstein list”; he fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics “who refused to back down”; he has provided “unconditional support” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; he accepted “a plane from Qatar,” which could cost nearly $1 billion to renovate; and he is building a “gilded ballroom” in the White House.

Asked about Savage’s X post, a White House spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement: “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to Make America Great Again and he is delivering on that promise in record time.”

Why It Matters

Savage’s criticisms of the president are indicative of a broader fissure within the MAGA base over Trump’s actions, particularly as they relate to foreign policy, the Trump administration’s support for Israel and its handling of the Department of Justice investigation into the death of sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

What To Know

The gripes Savage raised were not the first time someone in the MAGA coalition has voiced opposition to the president’s actions. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has drawn the ire of several, from Candace Owens to Tucker Carlson, particularly over America’s continued support of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the handling of the Epstein files and accompanying “client list.”

Trump, however, still receives strong favorability ratings among Republican voters. In a Gallup survey published Tuesday, Trump was viewed favorably by 86 percent of Republicans. A recent Emerson Polling survey found just a 1 percentage point difference between his approval and disapproval ratings—46 percent of voters approve of the job he’s doing as president and 47 percent disapprove.

But the split in his approval rating on the economy is starker, with 51 percent of voters disapproving of his economic approach compared to 41 percent who approve, according to Emerson’s July 25 survey.

Savage was among the first radio hosts to endorse Trump but hasn’t been shy to split with the president and his allies in the past. He said in 2020 that the right-wing media was wrong to doubt the severity of the coronavirus early on and has also suggested that Trump’s staunch supporters aren’t critical enough of the president.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.