Rural citizens voted for lower prices, more jobs, and a stronger economy. But for many rural Americans who backed Donald Trump in 2024, the reality of his second term has looked very different from what was promised — and their patience is running out.
A new poll, conducted among 1,340 adults, shows Trump’s net approval rating among rural Americans has collapsed by 32 percentage points since he returned to office. In February 2025, rural voters gave him a net positive of +22 points. Today, he sits at -10 points with the same group — a 32-point freefall in just over a year. In raw terms, 43 percent of rural Americans approve of the job he’s doing, while 53 percent disapprove.
These aren’t strangers who never supported him. In 2024, rural voters handed Trump one of his strongest electoral performances ever, backing him by 30 points according to CNN exit polling. The voters now turning on him are, in many cases, the same ones who sent him back to the White House.
The Promises vs. The Reality
Trump ran on making life more affordable. For rural Americans, the opposite has happened.
Gas prices have surged as a result of the U.S. conflict with Iran, hitting rural families especially hard — people who have no choice but to drive long distances to get to work, buy groceries, or see a doctor. Tariffs have squeezed farmers who depend on global markets to sell their crops and buy their equipment. And proposed cuts to Medicaid — a program rural communities depend on more than their urban counterparts — have added a layer of fear about what comes next.
Only 39 percent of rural Americans say they approve of how Trump is handling the economy. Nationally, that number drops even further, with just 33 percent of all Americans giving him passing marks on the issue voters care about most.
Suzanne Mettler, a professor of government at Cornell University and co-author of Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy, told Newsweek the pain is real and specific.
“Many farmers have been adversely affected by tariffs,” she said. “Changes to Medicaid are also likely to be harming many rural residents, who particularly rely on the program for health care.”
What’s Next Post Low Approval
The frustration isn’t abstract. It shows up in kitchen tables, farm budgets, and gas station receipts across the country.
A separate poll, tells the same story: rural approval of Trump has dropped from 58 percent in February 2025 to just 45 percent today, with 49 percent now disapproving. In roughly 15 months, a group that was one of his most enthusiastic bases of support has flipped to net negative.
Rural Americans didn’t ask for much — just lower prices, a stronger economy, and a president who kept his word. Eighteen months into Trump’s second term, gas is expensive, groceries are a strain, and the promises that won Trump those 30-point rural margins in 2024 remain largely unfulfilled.
