Georgia farmer Franz Rowland on January 16, 2026 (Image: Screengrab via CNN / YouTube)
In the swing state of Georgia — which President Donald Trump won in 2024 after losing it in 2020 — some of Trump's supporters are not impressed with how the president has managed the economy as the first year of his second term comes to a close.
CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny reported Friday from Southern Georgia, where 72 year-old Republican voter Franz Rowland is struggling to keep his farm afloat. Rowland was primarily motivated by the economy when casting his ballot for Trump in the last presidential election, but told Zeleny that could be the same reason he votes differently in subsequent elections.
"I don't know who dropped the ball in Washington to allow these prices, this trade, to diminish like it has, but somebody dropped the ball," Rowland said. "Somebody wasn't looking out for us."
"Trump says 'be patient, the farmers are going to be better than ever,'" he continued. "Well, you better hurry up because we can't we can't stand this much."
Zeleny's segment came on the heels of a new CNN/SSRS poll released Friday, which found Trump deeply underwater on both the economy and immigration, which are widely regarded as the two issues that he ran on to win a second term in the White House.
"A 55 percent majority say that Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the country, with just 32 percent saying they’ve made an improvement. Most, 64 percent, say he hasn’t gone far enough in trying to reduce the price of everyday goods," CNN reported. "Even within the GOP, about half say that he should be doing more, including 42 percent among Republicans and Republican-leaners who describe themselves as members of the 'Make America Great Again' movement."
Rowland said Trump's insistence that his economy is strong comes off as tone-deaf, and told Zeleny: "I thought by now we would have a we'd have some really good trade."
The CNN reporter added after the segment that Rowland "does not see a light at the end of the tunnel" as planting season approaches. He also told Zeleny that while he was "grateful for the government assistance," that farmers would prefer to have "trade, not aid."
Watch the segment below:
- YouTube www.youtube.com
