At the heart of Tucson, a quiet transformation is underway at the Special Eats Café. Gas lines are newly installed, the kitchen hums with potential, and the dining space is close to ready. But this isn't just another restaurant opening — it’s a mission.

Tamara Varga, the woman behind it all, has poured her heart into creating jobs for people with disabilities, including her two sons. Her growing food empire — from trucks to a sweets shop, and now this café — employs individuals with autism, Down syndrome, and other special needs. It's a rare blend of business and purpose.

“It’s a lot of work,” Varga said, walking through the unfinished kitchen. “But it’s what I’m called to do. It blesses my life.”

A committed Christian and lifelong Republican, Varga backed Donald Trump’s 2024 return to the White House. But just 100 days into his new term, even she is uneasy. And she’s not alone.

We spoke with voters across Arizona — from Republicans to progressives — to understand how Trump’s early presidency is landing. Across the board, the feedback ranged from cautious to openly critical.

Varga still supports Trump in principle, but she’s worried. The costs of running her business are climbing. Prices for goods in her gift baskets are up. And although she appreciates Trump’s tough talk on trade, the constant threat of tariffs is rattling her plans.

“Some of it I understand,” she said. “But if he doesn’t deliver, a lot of people are going to walk away.”

Top of her list of concerns: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Varga doesn’t want cuts to safety nets her employees and family rely on.

“He promised he wouldn’t cut them. I really hope he keeps that promise,” she said. “We can’t survive as it is right now — and we definitely can’t afford cuts.”

And though Varga once believed Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen, she doesn’t anymore. She’s even considering Democratic candidates for local office — a sign of shifting political winds in a state Trump narrowly won in 2024.

“I still support him,” she said. “But things better change — or he’s going to lose me.”

Others have already moved on. Melissa Cordero, a progressive Air Force veteran and community organizer, says the last 100 days have been jarring.

“I’m constantly asking, ‘Can he really do that?’” she said.

Cordero’s work and life have been directly impacted by Trump’s policies. A conservation grant tied to diversity programs was recently cut. Her parents — both veterans — are now worried about keeping their federal jobs. And she’s protesting funding reductions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Mental health support is already thin. Now it’s getting worse,” she said. “Veterans need that help — not more silence.”

In the border counties of southern Arizona, where trade with Mexico powers much of the economy, Trump’s tariff threats are fueling uncertainty.

Matt Mandel, an executive at a major produce distribution firm near the Nogales crossing, says the chaos is disrupting cross-border trade.

“The biggest issue is the unpredictability,” Mandel said. “We hear one day there’s a tariff, then it’s off. How do you plan a business like that?”

His warehouse hums with produce from Mexico, but any hint of new tariffs sends shockwaves through the supply chain — and to American consumers.

“Tariffing food makes no sense,” Mandel added. “It just raises prices for families.”

Restaurant owner Ray Flores feels the same squeeze. His family has run eateries in Tucson for over a century. Lately, business is down — 7 to 8% across his locations.

“People are nervous,” Flores said. “They’re spending less, and they don’t feel like celebrating.”

Flores isn’t loyal to either party, but says Trump’s leadership so far feels “haphazard.”

“There’s too much emotion and not enough planning,” he said. On a scale of 1 to 10, he gives the first 100 days a 5.

As for the next 100 days?

“I just don’t want it to get worse,” Flores said. “If we could end up at a 7, that’d be nice.”