The topline news in the latest American Thinker/Rasmussen Reports polls for Wisconsin and Michigan is that Trump now leads Harris in Wisconsin by two points (where they were previously tied), while the two candidates continue to be tied in Michigan. However, as with all the AT/Rasmussen Reports polls, the most compelling point is that voters are deeply unhappy with the status quo under the current administration.

In Wisconsin, where Rasmussen Reports polled 1,004 likely voters (“LVs), Trump holds a two-point lead over Harris (49%-47%), while in Michigan, which polled 1,058 LVs, the two candidates are tied at 48% each, with only 3% of those polled still unsure. Confusingly, given these results, in Michigan, voters consider Trump the more competent candidate (48%-47%), while in Wisconsin, they’re tied at 46% each.

Image by AI.

In both states, voters share the same concerns, with the economy their top worry, followed by border security and abortion. Michiganders, however, are somewhat more worried about the economy, for 32% rank it as their top concern, versus 17% for the border and 14% for abortion. That relatively soft concern for the border may explain why, unusually for most of the states we’ve polled, they want the incoming administration to have as its top priority rising prices (30%), followed by illegal immigration (28%) and protecting democracy (21%).

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, 29% of LVs worry about the economy, followed by the border (22%) and abortion (14%). When asked about what the incoming administration should do, Wisconsinites ranked immigration (29%) as their top priority, followed by rising prices (26%) and protecting democracy (23%).

The poll doesn’t ask LVs how to define “protecting our democracy,” but we can get some idea of their concerns. In both Wisconsin and Michigan, respondents said that when they think about how Washington D.C. works, 71% want a major change to the current system. In both states, 52% of LVs do not trust the United States government.

Likewise, in both states, respondents preferred generic Republican candidates to generic Democrat candidates for Congress, with Michiganders at 49%-47% in favor of Republicans and Wisconsinites at 48%-46%. However, when looking at the upcoming Senate elections, the two Senate candidates are tied in Michigan, while in Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin has a one-point lead over Republican Eric Hovde (46%-45%).

Continuing the theme of dissatisfaction with our current political system, LVs in both states strongly approve of counting all votes on election day (58% in Michigan and 57% in Wisconsin). And in both states, LVs are very concerned about cheating (64% in Michigan and 65% in Wisconsin).

In both states, voters are roughly equally divided about the risk of impending civil war. In Michigan, 42% think civil war or revolution is likely, with 45% thinking it’s not likely, while in Wisconsin, 44% think violent upheaval is possible, while 33% do not.

As with all polls Rasmussen Report has conducted for American Thinker, LVs in both states feel what Jimmy Carter long ago characterized as “malaise.” They’re not better off than they were four years ago (57% in Michigan and 55% in Wisconsin), and they worry about their children’s futures (53% in both states).

Michigan and Wisconsin voters have been paying attention to FEMA’s response to the damage recent hurricanes caused. They’re roughly divided in their sentiments about whether FEMA has responded appropriately. However, the one thing they’re very clear on is how Congress should be allocating taxpayer money. In both states, huge majorities want more money for Americans affected by disasters and less for illegal aliens. In Michigan, it’s 83%-8% in favor of Americans, while in Wisconsin, it’s 86% to 4%!

You can see all the poll results at Rasmussen Reports.