Resonate’s Wave 48 Report reveals a hardened electorate bracing for long-term instability—not hoping for quick fixes.
As Donald Trump’s second presidency takes shape, the American electorate appears more anxious, skeptical, and politically hardened than ever. The Resonate Voter Trends Report, Wave 48, delivers a detailed snapshot of how voters are reacting to a wave of rapid changes — from a sweeping immigration crackdown to tariff-driven trade wars with China and aggressive overhauls across federal departments.
If there were hopes for a "return to normal," Resonate’s data suggests those hopes have evaporated. Voters are adapting, not expecting.
Economic anxiety has become the dominant mood of 2025. Nearly half of Americans — 45.4% — now believe the economy will never return to pre-pandemic normalcy, a sharp 25% increase since the end of summer 2024.
Data from Resonate’s Wave 48 Report
Optimism about a quick recovery has collapsed, with the number of voters anticipating economic stabilization within a few months plunging by almost 48% since the election. Even Trump’s supporters, who largely drove his return to office, are increasingly worried about financial security rather than buoyed by promises of growth.
Data from Resonate’s Wave 48 Report
Compounding the problem, almost one-quarter of Americans (24%) say they are extremely or very concerned about the economy, marking a 22% surge in anxiety since last November. However, 12.1% of voters report only minor financial concerns, a modest increase that reflects pockets of enduring optimism among Trump loyalists.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
Voters today are laser-focused on systemic problems rather than isolated issues. Corruption in government tops their concerns, troubling 44% of the electorate. Leadership instability follows closely at 42%, while economic slowdown and healthcare costs each claim around 40% of voters' attention. Even traditional fears like crime and mass shootings have been eclipsed by deeper unease about the sustainability of American institutions.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
This shift is not purely theoretical. Americans are feeling the economic pressure daily, and it is reshaping their political expectations in ways that both parties will need to grapple with ahead of the 2026 midterms.
While the national mood is dour, Americans’ personal finances present a more nuanced picture. 53% of respondents say their financial status is about the same as it was 6 months ago, which is a slight improvement over the 48% who said the same in October 2024. Yet resilience has limits. The percentage expecting to be worse off 6 months from now has grown from 15% to 18%, while those expecting to be better off has dropped to just 33%.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
Personal savings behavior provides another revealing lens. Since last summer, there has been a 15% increase in the number of Americans saving at consistent levels and an 18% decline in those saving less. The proportion of debt-free Americans is at its highest in 18 months, suggesting strategic belt-tightening is becoming widespread.
Even so, just over 9% of Americans have had to take out a loan recently to make ends meet — a flashing warning sign of hidden financial strain.
If the American public was once inclined to blame Washington for their economic woes, that anger has begun shifting toward corporate America. Resonate’s Wave 48 reported 39% of Americans now blame corporate price gouging for persistent inflation, while 37% cite excessive government spending. Only 31% still blame former President Joe Biden, down from a high of 34% in May 2024.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
This marks a critical inflection point. Despite multi-million-dollar corporate PR efforts to redirect public frustration, voters continue to see businesses, not just politicians, as responsible for their stagnant wages and soaring costs.
On the issue of immigration, Trump’s administration has secured a rare political victory. Public concern about illegal immigration has dropped from 30% to 23% since the November election, a decline of 23.3% that analysts attribute to visible and aggressive border enforcement policies.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
However, this success stands in contrast to broader frustrations. Concerns about government corruption have actually risen by 4.7% over the same period, indicating that Trump’s anti-corruption messaging has failed to convince a critical mass of Americans that real progress is being made. For most voters, it seems, “draining the swamp” remains an unfinished project.
Brand strategists should take note: cause-based marketing is losing its influence over consumers. Thirty percent of Americans now say no cause would sway their purchasing behavior, up from 21% just 18 months ago. Even once-unassailable causes, like supporting military families and veterans, have seen support tumble from 37% to 30%.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
This change reflects a growing skepticism about corporate authenticity. In a political environment already defined by distrust, brands aligning with causes purely for profit risk alienating as many consumers as they attract.
Healthcare concerns have also sharpened in the wake of controversial appointments and rising vaccine debates. Moderate health concerns now affect nearly 29% of Americans, a five-point jump from last year. Meanwhile, the trust landscape continues to shift: belief in medical professional organizations has climbed slightly, but trust in personal doctors has fallen by almost 5%.
Data from Resonate Wave 48. Visual created with DALL·E.
Vaccination attitudes are hardening into two entrenched camps. Over the last three months, the number of Americans more likely to get vaccinated has increased by 7.7%, but resistance has also grown — though at a slower pace. As with political ideology, vaccine sentiment appears to be solidifying, not softening.
Despite growing media distrust, most Americans continue to rely on mainstream news outlets as their primary source of information. Efforts by alternative media to capture larger audiences have made incremental gains but have not dislodged the legacy networks' dominant role. This lingering dependence, even amid dissatisfaction, highlights the deep inertia within American media consumption habits.
The Resonate voter trends report reveals a nation that is not simply weary — it is recalibrating for a long struggle. Americans are learning to live with higher prices, political dysfunction, and a sense of permanent instability. They no longer expect quick fixes. Instead, they are adjusting their expectations, entrenching their beliefs, and preparing for a future in which economic and political uncertainty is the norm, not the exception.
For campaigns, brands, and advocacy groups alike, the message is clear. The era of sweeping, feel-good promises is over. To engage today’s voter, it will take authenticity, specificity, and proof of impact. Americans are not waiting for rescue. They are preparing for survival.