WASHINGTON – Amid a barrage of media headlines decrying “chaos” and “overreach,” President Donald Trump’s supporters are digging in deeper, insisting he’s executing the exact blueprint they voted for in 2024: Unyielding immigration enforcement and bold foreign policy wins. A fresh Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday shows Trump’s approval steady at 40% overall, but a rock-solid 90% among Republicans—up from 87% in September—proving his base’s loyalty unshaken despite the federal shutdown’s 13th day and judicial pushback on troop deployments.
The Gaza ceasefire breakthrough has supercharged the fervor. Trump’s 20-point plan, signed October 9 in Sharm El Sheikh, secured Hamas’s release of all 48 hostages by Monday in exchange for Israel’s partial withdrawal and a humanitarian aid surge. Even skeptics like CNN’s Jake Tapper called it “a breakthrough that eluded Biden,” while Hillary Clinton commended the “significant first step.” Supporters flooded rallies in Ohio and Pennsylvania, chanting “Promises made, promises kept!” One veteran in Columbus declared, “Media spins it as reckless—it’s resolve. Gaza’s quiet because Trump doesn’t blink.”
On the home front, Operation Secure Horizon’s deportation tally hit 350,000 this fiscal year, with workplace raids and visa overstay crackdowns fulfilling campaign vows to “secure the border.” Chicago’s Broadview facility saw 18 arrests Friday amid protests, as 400 Texas National Guard troops arrived despite a 48-hour judicial deadline from Judge April Perry. Pritzker’s lawsuit calls it “invasion,” but backers like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene hail it as “America First in action.” “He’s doing what we elected him for—draining the swamp of sanctuary madness,” said a Milwaukee factory worker, echoing 68% of GOP voters in a Pew survey who prioritize enforcement.
Critics lambast the tactics—tear gas in Portland, $40 billion benefits cuts—as divisive, but Trump’s faithful see vindication. With midterms six weeks out and polls showing 62% of independents favoring audits on fraud, the loyalty holds. Media spin? It’s noise to the faithful. Trump’s mandate marches on, supporters more resolute than ever.
