Even Wyoming is growing leery of Trump and Musk’s slash and burn

Even in a state as red as Wyoming, I think I’ve found a place where the political polarization is beginning to thaw.

It’s not a place I go to by choice; in fact, I never wanted to be there. My presence is necessary for health reasons. I had a heart attack, which has greatly changed my morning routine.

I get up early three days a week to go to the hospital for cardiac rehab. Others with pulmonary conditions are in the same clinic, and the vast majority of us are seniors.

Health care is on everyone’s mind, particularly because of potential cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Whether one is a conservative, centrist or progressive, we’re generally united in the belief these health insurance programs and Social Security should not be on the chopping block.

All three still embody the “third rail” of politics: officials who touch them will watch their careers die.

That adage was never more clear than when I recently listened to a group in the clinic’s waiting room. I wasn’t part of the conversation, just standing nearby. One woman had everyone’s rapt attention as she talked about her fear of losing health insurance.

The woman’s tone was almost apologetic as she confessed to being afraid of offending her friends. I understand her trepidation. This is a state where 75% of presidential voters chose Donald Trump, who’s currently taking a wrecking ball to the federal government and democratic principles. Many Wyomingites in the minority fear being attacked in person or on social media for their opinions.

Still, she admirably spoke her mind. “What’s happening isn’t right,” she said. “We’ve all paid into Medicare. In the end, we’re all from Wyoming and we’re all in the same boat.”

Several agreed and shared their own concerns. One told her she was loved and respected by everyone there, not hated. Another noted Medicare may be in danger but hasn’t been cut yet.

The woman wasn’t finished. “And what about all the medical research funds that are being cut?” she asked. “How can that be justified?”

Her questions were met with silence, though several heads nodded in agreement. The criticism was spot on: 10% of the staff at the Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias were terminated, many for bogus claims of poor performance. Seven million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, which has no known cure. I doubt there’s a family that hasn’t been affected by the disease, so why cut research?

A total of $4 billion in announced federal cuts would impact universities, cancer centers and hospitals tackling diseases like cardiovascular conditions, cancer and diabetes.

I imagine that the conversation I heard at cardiac rehab is happening across the country. Judging by protests and raucous town halls, where members of Congress have been booed even in MAGA country, I believe the political winds have shifted since Trump’s inauguration.

Many Trump supporters still believe he’s sparked a golden age, but as his extreme policies hurt many Americans — especially federal employees — polls show the president’s support is already waning.

There’s always a healthy push to get more young people to the polls, but older Americans are the most consistent voters. Going back to 1988, voters 65 and older have had the highest turnout of any age group.  

And in 2024, Americans aged 50 and older preferred Trump by 5% over the Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris.

If Republicans are going to stay in control, the party’s fate rests on how well Trump’s performance is perceived before the 2026 mid-term election. I think it’s destined to crater with older Americans because of myriad concerns about the impacts on their families.

Health care is indeed at the heart of many fears. Last Thursday Trump promised there would be no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, but a few hours later he endorsed the U.S. House’s budget plan that would potentially cut Medicaid by $880 million.

Meanwhile, new Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed without evidence on Fox News that Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are rife with “$1 trillion of waste, fraud and abuse” and will be slashed.

The Trump administration plans to cut at least $2 trillion from the federal budget to help pay for tax cuts that will add $4.5 trillion to the national debt. The vast majority of benefits will be reaped by the wealthiest Americans. The population hurt the most will be elderly Trump supporters who believed he’d protect them.

The beginning of Trump’s second term has been a dazzling demonstration of disregard for the rule of law and Americans’ wellbeing, including a frenzy of possibly unconstitutional executive orders challenging Congress’ law-making and funding authority. Thousands of federal workers ranging from nuclear security experts to scientists trying to halt the bird flu epidemic were terminated, only to be recalled when officials discovered they were essential to public health and safety.

Much of the public outcry is focused on Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, Trump’s top donor and de facto “co-president.” Musk is dismantling several agencies, including USAID, which provides foreign aid; the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog agency that would regulate Musk’s new digital payment platform; and threatening the IRS with staggering cuts. Meantime, Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, have been awarded at least $18 billion in federal contracts over the last decade. 

Musk has left so much panic and pain in his wake that it’s easy to think of him as America’s biggest villain. But with his chainsaw-swinging performance at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, he may have claimed yet another archetypal role — “King” Trump’s court jester.

But let’s not forget it was Trump who gave the federal government’s keys to Musk so he and his marauding young hackers could snatch IRS and Treasury Department data. We’ll never be sure exactly what private information about millions of Americans was disclosed or how it was used. 

When does Musk get the nuclear codes, or does he already have them?

I’m 69 years old, a progressive baby boomer who grew up during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The “evil empire” was singled out by Republicans as the greatest threat to the American way of life. You don’t spend time under your second-grade desk during nuclear “duck and cover” drills without it leaving some scars on your psyche.

That a U.S. president is in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s back pocket is stunning to my generation. Taking Putin’s word over our country’s intelligence agencies during his first term was mind-boggling, but Trump’s declaration that Ukraine started the war with Russia tops every lie he’s ever told — and that’s saying something.

Eventually, I expect many of even the most faithful MAGA-ites to throw up their hands and say, “I didn’t vote for this.” But the final straw will probably vary from state to state. 

There’s no shortage of people ticked off, including mistreated federal workers, veterans and farmers who feel betrayed by Trump, and law-abiding citizens still in shock over mass pardons issued to thugs who assaulted police and trashed the Capitol. 

People are also baffled about the rogue’s gallery of wholly unqualified Cabinet members appointed by Trump and confirmed by spineless GOP U.S. senators. FBI Director Kash Patel vowed to dismantle the “deep state” and punish Trump’s critics. What could possibly go wrong?

Health care cuts aren’t the only thing my rehab classmates are worried about. They want their grandchildren to get a good education. They want to visit adequately funded national parks, and see no reason to privatize the post office or weather service.

The biggest unknown factor is how Trump’s tariffs will impact the economy. If they raise prices on everything from cars and trucks to groceries and gas, the president is in for a long four years. So are all Americans.

I want everyone to live well and prosper, no matter who is in charge. But the past month has been genuinely scary for millions, and depressing to boot. I won’t hazard a guess on precisely when the political tide will turn against Trump and his bootlicks, but it’s already clear that the rest of us will have a giant cleanup and repair job to perform once it does. If our democracy isn’t good motivation to stick with my cardio rehab classes and get back in shape, I don’t know what is.