The Expectation Gap: What the Right Hoped Trump 2025 Would Deliver And What’s Really Happened So Far
TXH Series Hub: THX Pulse - Systems, Emotions & the Urgency of Now
When Donald Trump took office again in January 2025, many of his supporters weren’t just hoping for policy change—they were longing for transformation. They wanted to be back in control. Back in the story. Back in a country that looked and felt like theirs again.
But reality doesn’t run on campaign slogans.
Now, 10 weeks into the new term, the experience of Trump’s base—measured not by ideology but by emotional and practical impact—reveals something powerful. Using the THX Framework of the 12 Utilities, PERMAH, and the Admiration Equation, we can map the emotional and cognitive experience of those who believed in this return.
🔧 The 12 Utilities: Expectations vs. Reality for Trump Supporters in 2025
1. Availability
Expectation: Immediate restoration of freedoms, fuel production, religious/cultural norms
2025 Reality: Some executive orders signed, but meaningful changes are stalled by courts and agencies
Experience Gap: ❌ Frustration—“Why is this taking so long?”
2. Access
Expectation: Easier access to gas, conservative media, firearms, and “uncensored” platforms
2025 Reality: Internet infrastructure strained; X (formerly Twitter) under scrutiny for moderation shifts
Experience Gap: ⚖️ Mixed, some access even shrinking
3. Security
Expectation: A secure border, deterrence abroad, “law and order” at home
2025 Reality: Border remains chaotic, tensions rising with China/Iran, and domestic unrest continues
Experience Gap: ❌ Many feel less safe, not more
4. Clarity
Expectation: Clear directives, transparent decisions, no “spin”
2025 Reality: Messaging is mixed, execution is complex, and contradictions are frequent
Experience Gap: ❌ “I thought I knew what we were doing…”
5. Ease of Use
Expectation: Deregulation, simplified taxes, fewer government hoops
2025 Reality: Some rollback occurred, but legal and procedural complexity remains
Experience Gap: ⚖️ Still feels hard to navigate
6. Accuracy
Expectation: “Truth-telling” over media distortion
2025 Reality: Disinformation lawsuits and conflicting claims challenge credibility
Experience Gap: ❌ Credibility is fraying
7. Speed
Expectation: Rapid executive action and immediate results
2025 Reality: Some actions taken, but change is slower due to legal and institutional delays
Experience Gap: ❌ Feels like things are stuck
8. Consistency
Expectation: Strong, steady leadership with predictable results
2025 Reality: Frequent reversals, legal entanglements, and policy whiplash
Experience Gap: ⚖️ Unstable follow-through
9. Closure
Expectation: A final victory over cultural conflict and bureaucracy
2025 Reality: Cultural battles are intensifying, not ending
Experience Gap: ❌ No resolution—just escalation
10. Emotion Evoked
Expectation: National pride, strength, and belonging
2025 Reality: Tension, cynicism, and economic worry dominate the emotional climate
Experience Gap: ❌ Emotional promise unmet
11. Resource
Expectation: Cheaper gas, job security, and more financial breathing room
2025 Reality: Inflation persists; global instability disrupts pricing and supply chains
Experience Gap: ❌ Financial strain persists
12. Value
Expectation: “America First” policies would feel like real, everyday improvement
2025 Reality: Symbolic wins have not translated to tangible benefits for most
Experience Gap: ❌ Meaningful value feels absent
🌱 PERMAH: The Promise of Flourishing Is Fraying
Positive Emotion:
The initial relief of re-election has given way to a rising undercurrent of anxiety. Economic uncertainty, global instability, and ongoing cultural conflict keep supporters in a state of alert—not the pride or peace they hoped for.
Engagement:
True engagement—the psychological flow that comes when you're absorbed in something meaningful—has been hard to come by. Many supporters are overwhelmed by the volume of content and chaos, rather than inspired to contribute to a mission. Activism has stalled. Energy is scattered.
Relationships:
The idea that this would restore unity among “real Americans” hasn’t held. Instead, intra-party fractures are growing between traditional conservatives, religious nationalists, tech-libertarians, and isolationists. Even relationships between family members remain strained under political pressure.
Meaning:
This was meant to be a sacred mission: save the soul of the country. But when the narrative is constantly shifting, and results are delayed or symbolic, the emotional fuel behind the mission begins to run dry.
Achievement:
Tangible wins are sparse. Executive orders don’t always equal outcome. Most Americans still feel they are fighting the same battles—just with a new spokesperson. Hope for upward mobility has not turned into lived experience.
Health & Wellbeing:
Here’s the most under-discussed fracture:
Top scientists at the NIH, CDC, and FDA are leaving their posts in record numbers.
75% of academic researchers say they are considering leaving the U.S. altogether due to attacks on scientific integrity, censorship, or lack of funding support.
Anti-vaccine rhetoric has disrupted funding pipelines and created mistrust even inside research institutions.
Public health isn’t just about COVID anymore—it’s about climate, mental health, AI safety, and biomedical progress. The erosion of trust in science is becoming a national security issue.
🌟 ADMIRATION EQUATION: The Emotional Return on Loyalty Is Shrinking
Admiration of Skill:
Initial impressions of decisive leadership and business savvy have been dulled by internal disarray, legal challenges, and reactive policymaking. Even supporters are asking: "Where’s the follow-through?"
Admiration of Goodness:
The expectation that this administration would care for “forgotten Americans” is at odds with rising tax pressures, cultural instability, and a sense that tech elites (ironically, Musk included) are still calling many of the shots.
Awe:
Once, the chaos felt like courage. Now, it feels recycled. There's little newness, and many of the “big wins” are relitigations of old fights.
Gratitude:
Instead of “thank you for coming through,” there's a creeping sense of “you owe us more.” Supporter patience is wearing thin, not because of betrayal—but because the promised emotional and practical closure hasn’t arrived.
🔄 WHAT HAPPENED TO ELON MUSK?
Few people have traveled faster from object of admiration to source of disillusionment than Elon Musk. Once the patron saint of free speech and innovation, his erratic decisions—on everything from content moderation to political endorsements to sudden bans and unbans—have fractured the trust of even the most loyal supporters.
What was once seen as brilliance now looks like impulsiveness.
What once felt like alignment with “the people” now feels like a solo show.
He’s still admired by some. But the “Admiration Equation” is built on consistency, value, and awe. When those falter, loyalty fades.
🧠 INSIGHT: Prospect Theory Says Losses Hit Harder
Supporters may still believe in Trump, but they’re not experiencing the transformation they hoped for.
Prospect Theory teaches us that losses loom larger than gains. When you promise healing and deliver more polarization, the emotional cost is amplified. Even symbolic wins can feel like losses when the baseline expectation was a flourishing, triumphant return to a “better America.”
This isn’t about policies. It’s about perceived utility, flourishing, and emotional ROI.
💬 QUESTION FOR THE READER:
Have you ever believed something would transform your life—only to realize that belief alone wasn’t enough?
What does it take for transformation to actually feel real?
Interpretation: The brass balance scale symbolizes the emotional math of 2025—a year where expectations and lived experience often feel uneven. The red and blue background suggests ideological tension, while the scale reminds us that hope, disappointment, and transformation all carry weight.