President Donald Trump is losing his sway with the rural voters who once supported him in droves, as a new Fox News poll exposes the collapse of GOP support in the heartland as the midterm elections come in two weeks.
A Fox News Power Rankings analysis released on Tuesday has shown that less than half of rural voters say they plan on voting for the GOP in the November elections. In 2024, nearly two-thirds of them voted for Trump.
Trump’s policies and the economic hardship that has come with them are at the center of the collapse in support in the communities they could previously rely on for support.
Fox News contributor Rémy Numa reported that fewer than one-quarter of rural voters believe the economy is performing well, while only 28 percent said that the job opportunities in their communities are good or excellent.
The report identified the rising cost of living as a cause for concern, as 19 percent identified the price hike brought on by inflation as their biggest economic concern. In addition, the rising gas prices and energy bills are always weighing heavily on the minds of voters.
With voter dissatisfaction on the rise, Fox News reported that the once safely red Ohio and Iowa congressional districts are up for grabs for Democrats, with polls showing them within the margin of error. These are districts Trump swept with double digits, now vulnerable to his unpopular second term.
The same could be said for Wyoming, where Trump secured over 70 percent of the vote, which is now a competitive district.
Some GOP candidates are trying to save their campaign by distancing themselves from Trump, a decision Republican congressional candidate Chuck Gray made with his TV ads forgoing Trump and the GOP.
The report notes that independent candidates are running for Senate against a Republican in four rural-heavy states: Idaho, Montana, Nebrask and South Dakota. They are taking advantage of voters' concerns by focusing on corruption, banning lobbying and congressional term limits
The gubernatorial contests have also got the GOP sweating as Fox News downgraded the Republican Party's prospects from Likely Republican to Lean Republican in Florida.
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds still leads former Democratic Rep. David Jolly, but concern remains about the decline in Hispanic vote for the GOP candidate.
A survey noted that the decline in support for Trump in the Hispanic community is down 12 percent.
Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen also faces a tougher re-election campaign amid dissatisfaction with state budget cuts and the presence of independent and third-party candidates.
The new figures show that Trump’s once-strong support in rural areas has faltered dramatically, leaving GOP candidates left to pay the price.
