Eighty percent of Republicans approve of President Trump’s performance, but his national standing has dipped, especially among independents.

That leaves plenty of people who voted for Mr. Trump but who may not feel good about the direction of the country. For Opinion’s latest focus group, conducted earlier this month, we spoke with voters like this: people who cast their ballots for Mr. Trump and said they were disappointed with his second term. A few said they even regretted their votes.

Some participants had been hopeful in 2024, but many of them felt that Mr. Trump was the “lesser of two evils” and the alternative might have been not voting at all: social conservatives, antiwar Republicans, people with hopes about prices and taxes coming down or deep dissatisfaction with Democratic policies. Their frustration mostly came in three categories: the implementation of Mr. Trump’s immigration policies, the Iran war and the continued high cost of living. People had praise for what Mr. Trump had done with the border, on crime and the idea of DOGE, but many of these voters are unhappy, some depressed and upset, with the direction of the country.

How do you talk about a situation you’re disappointed about or even a decision you regret, though, especially with people you know might disagree? It can be difficult.