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Back in early March, I went looking for GOP voters who didn’t love Donald Trump. This was not a scientific undertaking—my sample size was 13 people, found through my own social and professional networks. I just wanted a glimpse of the thought process of longtime Republicans who were uncomfortable making Trump their party’s nominee. How did they plan to vote in November, should Trump in fact make the ballot versus Hillary Clinton?

Seth Stevenson Seth Stevenson is a senior writer at Slate, where he’s been a contributor since 1997. He is the author of Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World.

At the time, when Trump had won New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada but was not yet a lock, two of them said they’d vote Trump in the fall; five said they’d vote for Hillary; and six were on the fence, planned to sit out, vote third-party, or write someone else in. This week, I checked back with these same voters. Now that Trump has indeed become the presumptive GOP nominee, I wondered: Would these folks fall in line, given that Trump has the party’s imprimatur? Would any be pushed further toward Hillary or a third-party candidate? Here’s what I found.




Who: civil litigation attorney, male, 45, California

Voting background: has always voted GOP in previous presidential elections

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: probably vote for Trump

What he says now: 80-90 percent sure he can’t vote for Trump under any circumstances

Change of heart: yes

The reality of the apparent Trump nomination has me dispirited. I am 80-90 percent sure that I cannot vote for Trump under any circumstances, even if he put a solid conservative on the ticket, a result that I don’t anticipate. While he may be slightly better than Hillary on a number of issues, he is unpredictable and unmoored. I guess I would rather have a predictable and reliable adversary than an unpredictable and unreliable leader.

I find him temperamentally unsuited for the presidency. The man is an ass. I enjoy him for entertainment value, but this is serious business, and he is not a serious man. One keeps waiting for him to be more presidential, to say, “OK, the fun and games are over, but I’m a serious guy who understands this is a big deal.” I get no sense of that from him.

I am looking at voting for Gov. Gary Johnson [who will likely top the Libertarian ticket]. If an independent Republican or conservative ran, I would likely vote for that person even though I don’t support drafting such a candidate.




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Who: retired attorney, male, 74, California

Voting background: has voted GOP since Barry Goldwater, with one break for Ross Perot in 1992

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: vote for Trump

What he says now: vote for Trump

Change of heart: no

I’m in pretty much the same place, although I will confess that the recent Bret Stephens piece in the Wall Street Journal made me say, “Hmmmmm.” I will also say that there is much time and opportunity for external matters (the economy, China and the Pacific, Putin, ISIS, etc.) as well as the candidates to make significant changes. Heck, maybe my son and daughter-in-law could even convince me that they are right and I am wrong. But to answer the question, I still think (note well: think, not feel) that Hillary is not worthy or trustworthy, and I’d rather roll the Trump dice.

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Who: federal HR employee, female, 40, Kentucky

Voting background: has voted GOP in every previous presidential election

What she said she’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: vote for Hillary

What she says now: even more likely to vote for Hillary

Change of heart: no

Trump sickens me even more now than when you first asked me. I was on a business trip with a Trump fan who told me, “I just think he’s funny. I love that he says exactly what he thinks! I just want to see how much he can get away with!” As if it was all a big joke, pure entertainment. It is terrifying. I don’t see how any thinking person could be anything but insulted by his candidacy.

“Trump sickens me even more now than when you first asked me.”

Also, my husband is in the Army. The thought of Trump as his commander in chief terrifies me. I think I first started to despise Trump when he belittled John McCain. Hillary isn’t my first choice to lead the military, but she is the best of bad options. Again, at least I feel like she would engage in critical thinking before taking action.

On the Hillary side, I would say that my support is solidifying. I could still be tempted by [Mitt] Romney or [Paul] Ryan, but Hillary is close enough to the middle for me to be comfortable. Her detailed plans appeal to me. Even when I disagree with her, I feel like she has put enough thought into her opinion for me to respect it. I also see her as someone who can keep all the plates in the air. Finally, I am really ready to vote for a woman. I know it is a weird thing to be so affected by, but Trump’s rant about the “woman card” really pissed me off. Even as a relatively young woman, I’ve had to fight for credibility and equal opportunities. Hillary went through worse. Hearing Trump make his stupid, sneering remarks made my blood boil. Hillary has put in the time and effort to earn my vote. So, yeah, firmly in Hillary’s camp now.




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Who: business owner and CEO, male, 44, Washington, D.C.

Voting background: has always voted GOP in presidential elections, save for a libertarian vote in 2004

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: pray

What he says now: not vote

Change of heart: not really

Trump has done nothing to disabuse me of the sentiments I formed months ago. And Hillary will always be Hillary: fundamentally untrustworthy. Short of a Romney third-party candidacy, I will likely just not vote. And I will take some pleasure in watching Trump come apart at the seams this fall. Hillary is miserable, but she’d at least preserve the republic for a [Marco] Rubio or Ryan to inherit in 2020.

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Who: retired attorney, female, 52, California

Voting background: has always voted GOP in presidential elections but abstained in 2008

What she said she’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: probably not vote, possibly vote for Hillary.

What she says now: vote for Gary Johnson or not vote at all

Change of heart: not really

I remain as baffled and appalled as ever. If the California general election ballot looks the way I think it will, I will probably vote for Gary Johnson or just not vote the top of the ticket.

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Who: attorney, female, 39, Virginia

Voting background: has always voted GOP in presidential elections, save for a libertarian vote in 2000

What she said she’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: not vote

What she says now: might vote for Sen. Ben Sasse or might not vote

Change of heart: no

My feelings about Trump haven’t changed. I have always planned to go to the polls in November to cast my ballot to support re-election of my Republican congresswoman, but I am still not sure which, if any, vote I might cast for the presidential race. Over the past month as Trump’s nomination started to look inevitable, I have seen a lot of my friends declare on Facebook that they are no longer Republicans. I’ve essentially been crying out to them, “No, don’t leave! There’s a lot more to it than the presidential nomination! We can’t just drop out and let the mobs take over!” That’s why I’m convinced we need someone to rally around so those of us who lean right but are deeply unsettled by the Trump phenomenon (and all that gave rise to it) don’t feel completely voiceless and powerless and give up on political engagement.

I like the talk I’m hearing of Sen. Ben Sasse potentially running as an independent (or however he might be designated on the ballot). I think there needs to be an additional incentive for conservatives who identify as #NeverTrump to go to the polls to vote for the Senate and House races. I would support him running for this reason. I think Hillary’s election is pretty much inevitable at this point, and unlike Trump at least she’s predictable and pragmatic, so it doesn’t deter me knowing an independent run has almost no chance of actually winning the presidency. I’m most concerned about holding the Senate GOP majority at this point, to check and balance her. That’s how the Constitution designed our government to be, after all.

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Who: retired executive, male, 75, New Jersey

Voting background: has always voted GOP in previous presidential elections

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: vote for Hillary

What he says now: vote for Hillary

Change of heart: no

My Trump revulsion factor has actually gone up quite a bit since March. I was looking for discussion on policies and programs to solve issues facing the U.S. But Trump has spent his time attacking individuals, groups, and even nations without spending a minute on solutions below the 50,000-foot level. I tuned him out. Hillary has the qualifications and experience, and I will comfortably cast my first-ever Democratic vote for her in the general election. Maybe the Republican Party will wake up if the loss is large enough. Probably not.

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Who: stay-at-home parent, female, 38, Virginia

Voting background: has voted GOP in every presidential election

What she said she’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: write in a different candidate

What she says now: write in someone or leave her ballot blank

Change of heart: no

Nothing has changed for me, except for my growing disdain for both candidates. I’m hoping that a third-party candidate emerges. I don’t have my eye on anyone—I’m waiting to see who comes out, and I’m hoping and expecting it to be better than the presumptive nominees at this point. I’ll still vote the down ballot and might leave the presidential slot empty. It’s an ugly place to be, as someone involved in politics who pays attention and cares about the outcome, but I can’t bring myself to vote for either of these two candidates. Any opportunity that Trump is given to show his character and extend his hand to conservatives and other people for whom he has not been their first choice he just throws it in their faces and says, “I don’t need them anyway. I don’t care about them anyway.” He’s very dismissive. That kind of attitude, I can’t appreciate it. It makes me angry.

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Who: attorney, male, 33, Illinois

Voting background: has voted GOP in every previous presidential election

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: vote for Hillary

What he says now: vote for Hillary

Change of heart: no

I’m still definitely with Hillary and will never vote for Trump. I guess if Hillary is going to demolish Trump (say, more than 10 percent but maybe even 20 percent), I’d vote for Gary Johnson if he gets the libertarian nod. If there’s even a remote risk Trump might be president, I’ll vote for Hillary. I think my view of Hillary has improved slightly, but that’s probably due to the fact that I’m supporting her now, and the people left in the race are so horrendous. I expect she’ll do a job similar to Obama, which I can live with. If Hillary effectively tacks to the center, I could see myself voting for her and not Johnson even if she’s winning by 20 points.

Trump’s views on monetary policy, changing libel laws, and encouraging violence from his supporters has hardened my opposition (if that was possible). I think Hillary looks better in light of a [Bernie] Sanders campaign that’s become increasingly negative and in light of some Sanders supporters (not all) that have become more unhinged. The calls on Hillary to drop out because of criminal activity at the State Department (which I thought were bogus when they came from the right) are particularly disturbing.

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Who: tech worker, male, 39, Ohio

Voting background: has voted GOP in every previous presidential election

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: not vote

What he says now: maybe vote Libertarian

Change of heart: not really

I gave $100 to the Libertarian candidate Austin Petersen. Nothing has changed about my opinions on Hillary or Trump. Trump taking over the GOP is like Germany invading and occupying France in World War II. Those who support him are collaborators or “Vichy Republicans.” The rest of us are free Republicans in exile. We will liberate the party some day. Just not sure when.

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Who: stay-at-home parent, female, 31, Massachusetts

Voting background: has voted GOP in every previous presidential election

What she said she’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: vote for Hillary

What she says now: vote for Hillary

Change of heart: no

I pretty much checked out of the election two months ago. I saw it as a no-win situation. All the candidates are horrible. Hillary is a liar and a pretty horrible human being, but I believe that for the most part, the reasons I don’t like her are because she made tough decisions and did what she thought was best, even though it meant people weren’t going to like it. However, I feel like she is the best option to continue with the status quo. She has the experience necessary with foreign leaders. Right now she’s the lesser of two evils and the least likely to propel us into World War III. I don’t see how the nation can benefit from someone like Trump, who is so oblivious and ignorant, in office. Also, this is all I can think of when I consider the election:

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Who: financial adviser, male, 30, Florida

Voting background: has voted GOP in every previous presidential election

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: vote for Hillary

What he says now: vote for Hillary

Change of heart: no

Nothing has really changed. I’m voting for Hillary in all likelihood. I hope she moves to the middle and paints herself as a get-something-done-pragmatist (we’ll see). I would not vote third-party unless it was Sanders versus Trump. I have spent the last few months arguing the merits of socialism, which I find as ridiculous as Trump’s entire candidacy. All I can say is that this is a very dumb country. I pray that Hillary wins, and a Republican who supports free trade can beat her in four years.

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Who: consultant, male, 63, Florida

Voting background: has always voted GOP in previous presidential elections

What he said he’d do in March if Trump became the nominee: probably vote for Trump … or wait, change that, Hillary

What he says now: still on the fence

Change of heart: hard to tell

With Hillary and Trump, it’s a tie with me right now. I find them both to be unacceptable. I’m going to take my responsibility seriously and vote for one, but it’ll be a game-time decision.

My concerns about Trump right now have less to do with his boorish behavior and more about his stated positions on debt, monetary policy, immigration, and so forth. But so far, I haven’t seen or heard anything from Trump that I would regard as coherent policy—45 percent duty on Chinese goods, deport millions of people, reduce our presence in NATO, give a haircut to U.S. bondholders. He has shown no grasp of economic or foreign policy.

I guess if I had to vote today, I’d vote for Hillary. But that’s just a real close call. I think she’s unqualified based on character and past behavior. To some extent, the running mates might have something to do with my ultimate decision.