Allies of President Donald Trump have voiced concern that he has become out of touch with the public after scaling back the campaign-style rallies that helped secure his election victory, according to a report.
Insiders fear the president is "isolating himself," surrounded by advisers unwilling to challenge him and consuming supportive coverage on pro-Trump networks including Fox News, Newsmax and One America News, The Atlantic reports. One unnamed close ally told the magazine: "People voted for him to lower prices, to bring manufacturing back, to stand up to those taking advantage of them. They didn't vote for him to build a damn gilded ballroom. He's not hearing them."
The president's focus appears to have shifted towards "business titans and billionaires" seeking favours, The Atlantic noted. During the autumn of 2017, in his first term, he travelled across the country more than a dozen times, including visits to energy workers in North Dakota and a rally in Alabama. By contrast, this autumn his domestic travel has been largely limited to his golf clubs in Bedminster and Mar-a-Lago, with a handful of events elsewhere.
It has been several months since Mr Trump held a campaign-style rally. He addressed supporters in Michigan in April to mark 100 days in office and in Des Moines, Iowa, in July to promote his "One Big Beautiful Bill" and outline plans for the nation's 250th anniversary. Further travel to communicate the bill's benefits was reportedly planned but never materialised, with Vice President JD Vance stepping in for summer stops. The legislation was soon overshadowed by controversy over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The president has since turned to foreign diplomacy, including a summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin, and has undertaken eight international trips this year compared with four in 2017. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump's "focus has been on securing deals for Americans back home" and that he plans to campaign actively for Republican candidates ahead of the 2026 midterms. However, Republican leaders have reportedly urged him to reconnect with his supporters, privately complaining about his focus on retribution, a potential war with Venezuela, immigration raids and a planned $350 million ballroom.
