Focus group: Black men who backed Trump approve of his presidency — but raise some concerns about DOGE
New conversations with Black men who voted for Donald Trump in swing states in November showed that nearly all of them remain staunchly with him, but his administration’s Department of Government Efficiency and his tariffs are potential pain points for the president among his supporters.
New conversations with Black men who voted for Donald Trump in swing states in November showed that nearly all of them remain staunchly with him, but his administration’s Department of Government Efficiency and his tariffs are potential pain points for the president among his supporters.
Some of these men — who participated in a recent focus group observed by NBC News as part of the 2025 Deciders series, produced by Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago — raised concerns about the speed of the DOGE cuts and billionaire Elon Musk’s power, while others backed the department's attempt to address a bloated government.
Overall, they remain largely supportive of Trump because they believe he’s taken the decisive action he promised on the campaign trail, and 10 of the 12 focus group participants stand by their vote in November, with the remaining two saying they wouldn’t vote for Trump again if given a do-over.
These Trump-voting Black men, including some who voted for Joe Biden in 2020, also expressed deep frustration with a rudderless Democratic Party, and were divided on the future of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
This group included six independents, four Democrats and two Republicans. Five of these voters — the four Democrats and one independent — said they voted for Biden in 2020 before backing Trump in 2024. Unlike a poll, which uses statistical methods to demonstrate how a larger population feels, the focus groups dig deeper into how individual panelists view key questions facing the country.
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