'Political pathogen' of Trump 'fever' may finally be breaking: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posited in a new Substack piece that the nearly decade-long fever pervading the GOP thanks to a "virus called Donald Trump" is finally showing signs of breaking.

Kinzinger described this insidious "political pathogen" as causing "a fever so disorienting that many cannot see his malevolence."

But Kinzinger wrote that the president's failure to shift the economy into high gear as he promised on the campaign trail has many voters wiping the scales from their eyes.

In recent days, stocks have see-sawed with news of Trump's massive tariffs on "friendly countries," and the price of eggs and other groceries have remained unaffordable for some average Americans.

Kinzinger quoted Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, who claimed in a recent cable news appearance, "I think what we are starting to see is the very beginning of buyer’s remorse setting in.”

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"Despite his claims of a sweeping mandate, Trump was elected for one primary reason: to improve the economy," Kinzinger wrote. "Yet, just two months into his presidency, a CNN poll shows that 54% of Americans believe he’s failing at this task. Alarmed by the consequences of his policies, 61% now oppose his tariff schemes, and only 46% think he is doing a good job overall."

Kinzinger cited focus groups conducted by policy analyst Rich Thau, even "moderate" Trump voters in the Great Lakes region "see the chaos in Washington, the tumbling stock market, and persistently high prices and realize this isn’t what they signed up for."

He quoted one focus group participant who lamented, “I don’t think anyone would have voted for him if they expected to see what we’re seeing now.”

Still another participant claimed she was “almost scared to watch the news.”

And Kinzinger said Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan expressed such feelings of betrayal at Trump's musings about turning Gaza into a seaside resort that it felt like "a slap in the face."

Kinzinger concluded by suggesting that those not infected by the "virus" move beyond the "'I told you so'" gloating phase to welcoming the Trump voters to a new state of political health.

Read the Substack piece here.