Voters in deep-red Alaska who picked Donald Trump in the past three presidential elections have soured on him.
In a report on MS NOW’s Connect with Jacob Soboroff, three-time Trump voters at a gas station in Anchorage were shown clips of the president making promises.
In the first clip, Trump says he is going to “bring prices down,” but as he continues to talk, the voter interjects.
“That’s why I voted for him, because he was saying all that stuff. And then now it’s totally different,” he tells reporter Alex Talbot.
A second Trump voter says the president is all hype.
“I hoped that he would be able to live up to some of his hype, but he’s hyperbolic. That’s all he has ever been. His middle name ought to be hyperbole. He can’t deliver on any promises. No politician ever can, even if they have the best of intentions,” the man says.
A third man who voted Trump then watches a clip of the president saying, “The prices are not very high,” and scoffs.
“For him maybe,” he quips. The average net worth of Alaskans was estimated to be around $155,000 in 2024. Since retaking the presidency, Trump’s net worth has skyrocketed to $7 billion.
“He talks a lot, but I haven’t seen anything that’s come to fruition yet. You know, of course I understand they don’t need nukes, but I mean, I need to live, and not be able to spend all my money on gas,” the third voter says.
Asked how he feels when he sees clips of Trump making promises, the man replied, “Like he’s just lying.”
Many communities in the state that went for Trump by 13 points in 2024 have to heat their homes with diesel, which is currently averaging around $6.60 a gallon, but prices are higher in remote communities.
In some regions, diesel is over $8 a gallon, and heating oil is $10. As the winter approaches, the need for fuel to stay warm will only increase.
The 2025-26 winter was one of the coldest recorded in the state, with record-breaking lows down to -60 Fahrenheit.
The surging price of a necessity for Alaskans is one factor in what is turning out to be a disastrous Senate race for the Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan. Former Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, is ahead by seven percentage points.
Alaska is one of a handful of normally reliable Republican Senate seats that look set to flip at the midterms, potentially delivering the Senate majority to the Democrats.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
