President Donald Trump has lost his once-strong standing in rural areas, with his approval dipping into negative territory for the first time since early 2025. The shift highlights growing economic and agricultural pressures reshaping voter sentiment on the farm.
Approval Rating Tumbles in Rural America
The Fox News poll released this week shows Trump’s net approval among rural voters falling 34 points—from +20 in early 2025 to -14 in May 2026. Support among rural white voters has plunged from +27 to -6 over the same period.
Overall, just 29 percent of voters approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 71 percent disapproved. Rural Americans tracked closely, with 30 percent approving and 70 percent disapproving of his economic performance.
Economic Stress and Agricultural Pressures
- The latest Fox News poll shows declining support across core voter groups, including Trump’s Republican base.
- Farm bankruptcies surged 46 percent in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
- Rising fertilizer and fuel costs linked to the war in Iran and global energy disruptions are squeezing farmers.
- Controversy over Chinese farmland ownership has intensified frustration in rural communities.
Voices from the Field
Louisiana farmer Willis Nelson told MS Now, “We’re not financially able to operate as normal,” explaining that his family cut back on fertilizer use because “we just don’t have the margin.” He added, “It’s tough, you know, very tough on us,” as his multigenerational farm faces possible bankruptcy.
Ohio producer Fred Yoder, in comments shared by Farm Action from an interview with US Farm Report, said, “It’s costing us about $1,500 of cash per day to run two tractors,” and noted that fertilizer costs have jumped: “I spent many years buying potash for $90 a ton, and now it’s $670 to $700 a ton. Our big problem is the input costs. I haven’t seen anything this bad since the 1980s.”
Political Implications and Reactions
Rural voters have long formed the backbone of the Republican electoral strength, making any erosion in this bloc politically consequential ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
GOP pollster Daron Shaw, who partners with Democrat Chris Anderson on the survey, warned that even core supporters are wavering: “Despite consistently strong GOP support, the president’s numbers are leaking a bit,” Shaw said. “Make no mistake; it’s all about affordability. Independents jumped ship in 2025, and now non-MAGA Republicans and other core constituencies are wavering.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai described the findings as a “short-term snapshot,” calling the U.S. economy “resilient,” and adding that “as this agenda continues taking effect, and as Congress passes more of the president’s healthcare and housing affordability agenda, the best is yet to come in the second Trump term.”
Spokesman Davis Ingle pointed to Trump’s 2024 victory as evidence of enduring support: “the ultimate poll was November 5th 2024 when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.” He said the administration is “working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more,” arguing that initial gains are “just the beginning.”
The Fox News survey was conducted May 15–18 among 1,002 registered voters nationwide, run by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research with live telephone interviews and online responses. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points, with participants reached via landlines (109), cellphones (635) and text-to-web surveys (258), sampled from a national voter file.
