They know President Donald Trump is “braggadocious.”

At times, they wish Trump would “just shut up” and let his work speak for itself. But Trump is a doer, they said, who “really cares” and is ultimately doing “good for America.”

In the two months since he returned to office, Trump has acted with head-spinning speed to institute an agenda that has abruptly reset the country’s posture with allies, shaken those who rely on national funding and upended the lives of the federal workforce, many of whom live in Maryland.

Those cataclysmic shifts have not been greeted with much buyer’s remorse among those who selected Trump in November — even as their neighbors begin to suffer at the hands of those policies.

Trump voters surveyed by The Baltimore Banner were united in their approval of the president’s actions. Resoundingly, they expressed few regrets, instead defending Trump’s “chainsaw approach,” all the while acknowledging its certain impact on their home state.

“I’m sure it’s gonna be bad for Maryland the next year,” said Steve Schultze, a 36-year-old Republican from Gaithersburg. “But we’ll be fine in the long run.”

High praise for DOGE

Under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk, the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency — officially the U.S. DOGE Service — has shuttered several government offices and laid off thousands of federal workers. Two federal judges ruled the administration must rehire thousands of probationary staffers, finding the move unlawful. Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the decisions.

Philip Rismiller, a Maryland transplant from a “hollowed-out carcass of a coal mining town” in Pennsylvania, was skeptical of Trump’s promise to trim the government. DOGE, he said, just seemed too good to be true. Rismiller said he hates to admit it, but Trump is a “big government guy.” During his first term, Trump “spent money like a drunken sailor,” he said.

Rismiller loves DOGE so far, though, arguing that cutting “cushy government jobs” will ultimately benefit the economy. Rismiller works for the state government and could lose his job, too. But it’s still the right move, he said. There’s too much bureaucracy in D.C.

“You could call the impact like ... an addict going through withdrawal,” he said. “You know, if Maryland is addicted to all this federal cash — we’ve gotta detox before we can get better.”

Frank Roden, a Republican from Anne Arundel County who supported Trump, said he knew many federal employees through his work as a defense contractor before he retired. Roden, 73, said the government workers he knew “didn’t work.” He had particular disdain for government auditors, whom he called “idiots.”

Roden, who lamented that he has still not received his federal income tax refund for 2023, said Trump’s staffing cuts would not worsen that situation, but instead light a fire under remaining federal employees.

“If you’re in fear for your job, you’re working a lot harder,” he said.

Still, Roden said, he would like to see Trump move a little slower.

“He needs to take a breath and go through a process,” he said. “Still get rid of people, but have a ranking system, maybe.”

Bad for Maryland, but good in the long run

Earlier this month, state leaders released an economic forecast showing that the state expects to take in $107 million less in taxes for the current budget year and $173 million less for the following budget year as a result of mass layoffs to federal staff. Federal workers make up 10% of Maryland’s total workforce.

Michael Evans, 64, a Trump voter who belonged to the Teamsters when he worked for UPS, said he feels sorry for the federal employees, many of them Marylanders, who will ultimately lose their jobs as a result of the cuts. But all businesses go through reorganization, Evans argued.

Evans’ oldest child is a teacher, but he said he favors Trump’s plans to at least partially dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that states and local governments can offer more responsible oversight of education funds.

“Maryland is going to suffer, unfortunately. There’s going to be a lot of unemployed,” he said. “It’s going to be some pain, yes, but it will be absorbed.”

Schultze, the Gaithersburg Republican who works in the construction industry, was also confident Maryland could weather the hardship. Schultze said he knew federal employees who “sit at home and get paid a lot of money to do nothing.” He said it’s “refreshing” to see Trump fight for “working people” like himself.

“I’m sure it’s actually hurting Maryland because I know how many government employees live here and work here,” he said. “But you know, as a whole, I think the more free market the better and the less government interference the better.”

The economy: ‘He’ll figure it out’

The introduction of tariffs on major imports and the threat of numerous more have roiled the U.S. stock market during Trump’s first few months in office. Major stock indexes closed at their lowest points of the year earlier this month, but later rallied as administration officials hinted that tariffs may not be effective in early April as Trump has threatened.

Christopher Garza, 66, a Republican from Howard County, said he likes that Trump’s tariff plan would ultimately bring more companies back to the United States. An estimator for a company that renovates bathrooms, Garza said he would be willing to pay a bit more for items if they’re made at home.

He cautioned that it will take time for the president to implement changes, particularly when it comes to the economy. Consumer goods were already expensive when Trump took office, he argued.

“I feel OK,” he said. “I’m not expecting a great turnaround right off the bat.”

Emily Kottraba, a Republican who voted in Baltimore County before recently moving out of state, was enthusiastic about Trump’s first months in office. She said she was hopeful that prices for goods would be lower by now, but the president has gotten “the ball rolling” in the right direction, she said.

Like Garza, Kottraba said she was willing to be patient with Trump on economic issues.

“The stock market has its ups and downs,” she said. “We’re just going through one of those. He’ll figure it out.”

Anthony Carreira, who grew up in northern New Jersey, saw Trump ascend into the “king in the New York area.” A 59-year-old who now lives in Frederick, Carreira said he likes what Trump stands for.

“I think the guy is a patriot. I think he really loves America,” Carreira said. “Does he always do the right thing? I don’t know, but I believe his intentions are always in the right place.”

The country has been starving for leadership for years, Carreira said. Former President Barack Obama had been a leader. Biden had not, he said. Having secured the popular vote and with Republican majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, Trump will have an easier time his second term, Carreira predicted.

“I got to give the guy a chance,” he said. “If he hangs himself, OK. You know, I’ll turn out to be wrong. But I really believe eventually, we’re going to be in a hell of a lot better shape four years from now.”