The shift has been as psychological as it is political. For years, Trump thrived on chaos, casting it as proof of his disruptive power. Now that same chaos feels less like disruption and more like decay. Voters who once tolerated the constant battles are signaling fatigue, not fury. The images of troops on American streets, clashing with protesters, have blurred the old lines between “law and order” and simple instability, unsettling even some of his former admirers.

Economic unease has deepened the sense that something fundamental has slipped. Rising prices and uncertainty have cracked the myth of guaranteed prosperity under his watch, eroding his last major claim to competence. In this climate, every new controversy lands like confirmation, not surprise. Rebuilding trust would require not just a message reset, but a transformation in tone and governance that so far has shown no sign of arriving.