If Gary Bochner could go back in time, he’d do November differently.
Bochner, 58, who voted for Donald Trump says that he would vote for another candidate. Bochner says that seeing that President Trump has not done any of the things he promised and has even made enemies with many world leaders, he is rethinking his vote.
“At the time, I was unemployed and the idea that he was going to ‘Make America Great Again’ and give jobs back to Americans really appealed to me,” Bochner said.
As President Trump nears the six month mark of his time in office, his approval ratings continue to drop, even those like Bochner who voted for him in the 2016 election are unhappy with how he has used his power so far.
According to the Gallup Daily, only 39 percent of Americans support the Trump Administration.
Among other District of Columbia residents, many believe that the Trump Administration is actually hurting the country.
Interviews done this week at American University and in Dupont Circle showed that many people had a range of issues they said were important. Those included: the environment, tax reform, relations with other nations, immigration policy reform and improving healthcare.
Eric Pullman, 17, said that Trump has disappointed the country in how he’s handled all of those substantial issues. And, Pullman said, he thinks racism also has gotten worse.
“His drastic actions hurt us all as Americans,” Pullman said. “This is not what we stand for. If Trump is to win a second term in office, I am not sure the county will be able to bounce back from it. The United States has become a laughing stock.”
As a Jewish-American living in the Bible Belt of the United States, Pullman has grown accustomed to weird looks.
“I am proud of my religion,” said Pullman, who is from Alabama, and was visiting Washington, D.C. to visit colleges. “Their stares cannot hurt me. I will not be ashamed of who I am.”
However, for Pullman’s Muslim neighbors, it is not just stares. He says that since Trump has taken office, discrimination has gotten worse.
“Their eldest daughter and I will sometimes walk to school together. One morning, somebody rode by on a bike and pulled off her hijab while yelling about how Trump would make America great again. As a Jewish-American, I feel the need to stand against actions like this,” Pullman said.