Story perspectives

Half of Rural Voters Say Economy Worse Under Trump

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 10:04 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Rural Trump Disapproval

An AP-KFF poll of 2,000 rural voters in August found half say the economy is worse than when President Donald Trump returned to office.
Rural respondents rated cost of living as fair or poor, a 25-point rise since 2017, and split sharply on Trump’s healthcare policies.
Only about 40% of rural voters approve of President Donald Trump’s overall job performance.

Left

Trump Reference Removal

An AP-KFF poll of 2,000 rural voters in August found 50 % say the economy is worse now than when President Donald Trump returned to office.
The poll’s distress signal prompted GOP candidates, such as Florida gubernatorial nominee Rep. Byron Donalds, to remove Trump references from campaign sites.
Mike Rogers (Michigan) and Ashley Hinson (Iowa) urged ending Iran war, citing its financial toll.

Blindspot

Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds removed most references to former President Donald Trump from his campaign website, citing economic backlash among rural voters.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In the 1994 midterms, Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America helped Republicans win a 54-seat House swing, seizing control for the first time since 1952 and flipping 19 Southern seats. That realignment showed how economic discontent reshapes rhetoric. Today, GOP lawmakers such as Florida’s Byron Donalds are downplaying former President Donald Trump to retain rural voters, echoing the 1994 strategy.

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Rural Trump Disapproval

An AP-KFF poll of 2,000 rural voters in August found half say the economy is worse than when President Donald Trump returned to office.
Rural respondents rated cost of living as fair or poor, a 25-point rise since 2017, and split sharply on Trump’s healthcare policies.
Only about 40% of rural voters approve of President Donald Trump’s overall job performance.

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