WASHINGTON — As Donald Trump prepares to return to power, Georgians are deeply divided over whether the nation stands at the cusp of greatness or the precipice of disaster.
Even as many Georgia voters indicate a swelling sense of optimism about the strength of the U.S. economy under a second Trump administration, many also remain split about the president-elect’s first flurry of decisions since winning a slim but decisive comeback.
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released this week captured the uncertainty of the moment. Some Georgians are fearful of the Republican’s return to power. Some are downright excited. Some are resigned to a long four years.
“I’m trying to be optimistic, because I know there are a lot of people who feel like things weren’t working under Joe Biden,” said Tyler Thomas, a web developer from Tucker. “But we just have to wait and see with Trump.”
The partisan divides over Trump have hardly budged since he recaptured Georgia in November, beating Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly 115,000 votes. Some 46% of Georgians approve of Trump’s transition, while 45% disapprove of his performance.
There’s a similar partisan divide over Trump’s slate of Cabinet picks, which includes former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins to oversee his veterans affairs department and former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler as head of the Small Business Administration.
Overall, 45% of Georgia voters label them outstanding or above average, while 49% said they were “below overage or “poor.” Among Republicans, 89% gave the picks high marks; while 94% of Democrats panned them. About 42% of independents rated them positively.
What’s more, a slim majority of voters (53%) say they disapprove of billionaire Elon Musk “playing a prominent role” in Trump’s administration. That includes about one-fifth of Republicans and half of independents.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Of the swirl of emotions greeting Trump’s return, about 1 in 5 Georgia voters say they’re “excited” about his second term, and another 33% are “optimistic.” On the flip side, about 22% are “concerned.” And nearly one-quarter reported they were “scared” of what his triumph will bring.
Chip Garrison, a Barnesville construction specialist, can hardly contain his excitement about Trump’s inauguration. He said Trump’s plans to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and revamp the military helped win his allegiance.
“I hate the direction the county was headed in before. The economy was struggling, there was wasteful spending in Washington. I’m sick and tired of what has been going on,” he said. “Now, I’m going to be glued to the TV. Monday can’t get here fast enough.”
His sentiment stands in stark contrast to that of Deborah Gant, a Savannah caterer who said she at least takes solace that Trump seems “quieter than he normally is.”
“This whole outcome isn’t going to be good,” she said. “I feel like it’s going to be three times worse than the first.”
‘Get it done’
In his first days in office, Trump promised to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants and slap a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada if they don’t block illegal migrant crossings and halt the flow of illegal drugs to the U.S.
More Georgia voters oppose the threatened tariffs (48%) than support them (42%), with roughly three-quarters voicing concerns they think the added fees will make the prices of products purchased here higher.
There was an even sharper rift in the AJC poll over immigration policy. While 57% of voters said there “should be a way for most to stay in the country legally if certain requirements are met,” only 37% support mass deportations of “most of the people” in the country illegally.
Gary Huskins, a truck driver from Senoia, is firmly in the latter camp. He expects Trump to live up to his promise to seal the U.S. border with Mexico and enact his deportation policy.
“There are too many people here already that aren’t supposed to be here,” said Huskins. “We’ll figure out something, but we have to close the border and stop the flow of people. And I think he can get it done.”
Shannon Smith is trying to reconcile Trump’s return. The real estate agent and entrepreneur from Spalding County voted for Trump mostly because of his ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. So far, though, she’s been impressed with Trump’s approach.
“Our government cares more about people in other countries than people here in our country, and I think Trump’s team will fix that,” said Smith. “I’ve heard more common sense themes come back into the spotlight than I have in years.”
Others have tilted from optimism to nervous anxiety after Trump’s win. Vick Long, a Winder property manager, has skittered across a gamut of emotions.
“It’s unnerving. He has nothing to worry about. He doesn’t have to worry about reelection and he’s said he wants revenge,” said Long. “I’m just worried he’s a loose cannon with a temper.”
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