Donald J. Trump is losing some of the people who formerly seemed practically inseparable from his political rallies.
The “Front Row Joes” became known for following Trump around the country and staking out spots at the front of his rallies. But now, two of the group’s prominent members have had enough. They are done, Politico reports.
Rick Frazier, who says he has attended more than 100 Trump rallies, is so disillusioned that he is considering not voting in November. He points to Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the Epstein files, saying the president’s actions have fallen far short of what he promised his supporters.
“Epstein crimes and feeding the industrial military complex … those are big nos for me,” Frazier told the outlet. “He promoted himself as a no-war president. That didn’t work out.”
Trish Hope, another longtime Trump loyalist who once published a book containing nothing but Trump’s social-media posts, has also turned against him. She says Trump’s dismissal of questions about Epstein was a turning point, describing it as the moment when “a veil lifted” and she began seeing him differently.
Hope has also criticized Trump for claiming that the Front Row Joes are “very rich,” arguing that members sacrifice substantial amounts of time and money to attend his events.
She’s drastically changed her views of the president:
During Trump’s first impeachment, she spent two weeks in Washington roaming Capitol Hill to defend the president: “I went to every single senator’s office as well as Republican congressmen,” Hope said. “I did everything I could for him.”
But now, the one scenario that would bring her back to Washington for Trump’s sake? “If we do lose the midterms and he is impeached again, I will be walking the halls of Congress in support of that impeachment,” Hope told Playbook.
The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein Files was her breaking point after Trump shot back at a reporter, “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years.”
“It was like a dagger in my heart,” Hope said. “It was like a light switch went on and a veil lifted, and I saw him for who he was, and I have not been able to unsee it since.”
Their departures are notable because these aren’t casual Trump voters. They are people who spent years traveling to his rallies and making him a central part of their lives. Now, even some of his most devoted followers are publicly expressing disgust and walking away.
With the midterms approaching, these defections are drawing attention to the possibility that Trump’s grip on at least some of his most dedicated supporters is weakening. It’s about time.