Arizona Swing Voters: February 2025

Key Takeaways

Trump makes this group of voters feel motivated, hopeful and excited.
They support Trump’s actions during the first few weeks of his second term, but some would like to see a bigger focus on inflation.
These voters do not believe the United States is in the midst of a Constitutional crisis.

In February, the Swing Voter Project caught up with 11 Arizona swing voters. They talked about the mostly positive emotions Donald Trump makes them feel and expressed support for nearly everything he’s done since taking office on Jan. 21. The voters also shared their opinions on Elon Musk and what they think Democrats in Congress should be doing.

The Swing Voter Project is a collaboration between Sago, Engagious and Axios. Each month’s focus groups feature voters from one of seven key battleground states. The respondents voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024.

How Trump Makes Voters Feel

February’s group of 11 voters included eight independents, two Republicans and one Democrat. When asked how they feel when they see Trump on the screens of their TVs or devices, here’s what these Arizona swing voters said:

“Motivated.”

“I get excited.”

“Encouraged.”

“Hopeful.”

“I feel neutral.”

“Relieved.”

“Secure.”

“Excitement.”

“Indifference.”

“I would probably say indifference, as well.”

“Exhausted.”

Views of Trump’s First Few Weeks

Some of the Arizona swing voters could only name one or two things Trump has done during the first few weeks of his second term. Others were aware of many of Trump’s actions.

Still, all 11 of them approved of what the president had done, starting on Inauguration Day through when the focus groups were held on Feb. 11. Their comments included:

“I like how he’s cleaning house in the government. Look at all this wasteful spending that’s been going on. It’s incredible what they’re uncovering.”

“I feel like with the illegals, the high crime people that he sent back, it will make our streets safer.”

“I approve because I believe he’s transparent and we haven’t had that for the last four years.”

“I approve of a lot of the stuff that he’s doing with the border and everything. I feel like the whole saying ‘make America great again,’ it’s giving more to the Americans and getting rid of the people that haven’t gone through the process to become American.”

Do Voters Think Trump Is Doing Too Much?

Only four of the 11 Arizona swing voters believe that Trump is trying to do too much at one time. When the voters were asked if he may be using a “flood the zone” strategy to throw his opponents off base, seven rejected that notion entirely. Their comments included:

“In the last two or three administrations, when January and February come around, there’s a whole bunch of executive orders. I feel it’s almost commonplace for every administration to have a bunch of executive orders.”

“I just think he’s trying to get America back on track as quickly as possible, given the state that it was left in from the previous administration.”

“He only has four years to do it. It’s not like he can run again … Some of these things you can’t fix overnight, so he has to get started early. As soon as he gets elected into office, get to work, because there’s no getting reelected.”

Should Trump focus on inflation?

Only two of the Arizona swing voters thought Trump had made fighting inflation a priority in his first few weeks in office in 2025. Some of the 11 voters were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Others had comments like these:

“I would prefer that he would focus more on inflation and less on immigration.”

“All of our prices are going up. By putting those tariffs on all those other countries right now, that’s not good for the economy. I feel like that’s going to hurt a lot of families.”

Thoughts on Elon Musk’s Role in Government

Since Trump took office in January, he has worked closely with Elon Musk. Eight of the 11 Arizona swing voters approve of what Musk is doing for the White House. One disapproves and two don’t know either way. Those who approve had this to say about Musk:

“He’s doing what we want. He wants to get all the corruption out of the government … The government is incredibly wasteful and redundant.”

“It’s a business person’s perspective, someone that has been in many spaces and really knows how to break down and analyze things from a lot of different perspectives.”

Is the US Facing a Constitutional Crisis?

According to some media organizations and academics, the US may be facing a possible Constitutional crisis. It could be put into play by Trump flouting rulings from federal judges and even decisions made by the Supreme Court. While addressing this topic with Arizona swing voters, several conclusions surfaced:

First, the idea that Trump would ever do something like that had never crossed their minds.
Second, they generally believe there are guardrails to keep a president in check. However, the voters weren’t always clear about what those are and how they work.
Third, nearly all agree that if Trump attempted an action they personally supported but was clearly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court or Congress should step in.
Fourth, eight respondents think it’s been true throughout US history that the Supreme Court gets the last word and that a president is obligated to follow the court’s rulings. The other three didn’t know that.
Fifth, when these Arizona swing voters were presented with a comment from a noted constitutional scholar saying that “we are in the midst of a constitutional crisis right now,” many scoffed.

Responses to Trump’s Plans for Gaza

During the focus groups, video clips of Trump discussing his plans for Gaza were played. The Arizona swing voters do not support the president on this issue. Their comments included:

“Just because I don’t think it should be a priority right now.”

“We have our own issues to handle before we start handling other people’s.”

“Not our country.”

What Should Democrats Be Doing?

None of the Arizona swing voters believe Democrats have found an effective way to counter Trump’s actions. Six believe the Democrats in Congress shouldn’t get in the way of Trump’s agenda. When asked what the Democrats should be doing, here’s what the voters said:

“I think they should be working on compromising on some of those ideals.”

“I feel like they should focus more on the economy and make it sound like they are trying to help the people over here in the United States, instead of worrying about everything that Trump is doing.”

“It would be nice to hear less of the anti-Trump rhetoric and hear more about what they’re going to do to try to win me back.”

As Trump’s second term continues, the Swing Voter Project will discuss his actions and other current events with voters. Check in each month to hear the latest.