President Trump’s approval rating among rural Americans dropped to a new low of 50% in early June, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, marking a sharp 10-point decline from February 2025 and signaling eroding support in a voting bloc that has been central to his political success.
The June 3-8 poll of 4,531 U.S. adults found that rural disapproval of Trump’s performance rose to 48%, up from just 34% in February 2025 shortly after he took office. The shift is particularly notable given Trump’s dominance among rural voters in recent elections—he won the rural vote by 40 points in 2024, up from 31 points in 2020 and 25 points in 2016, according to Pew Research Center exit poll analysis.
Rising costs are driving the decline. Just 31% of rural respondents approve of Trump’s handling of cost of living and economic issues, while 61% disapprove. Rural Americans are particularly exposed to gas price increases because they drive significantly more than urban residents—an average of 30 miles daily compared to 17 miles for city dwellers, according to 2022 data from the Department of Transportation.
The economic pressures facing rural communities are substantial and documented. Farm bankruptcies rose 46% in 2025 and have accelerated to a 70% increase so far in 2026, according to the American Farm Bureau. Trump’s tariffs reduced demand for U.S. agricultural products, especially soybeans, while raising the cost of farm equipment and fertilizer. The Iran war has sent diesel prices soaring, threatening margins for farmers and fishermen alike. Manufacturing employment has declined by 77,000 jobs since the start of Trump’s second term, despite his promises of a manufacturing revival through tariffs, according to Brookings Institution analysis.
A Fox News analysis found that among white rural voters specifically, Trump’s net job approval (approval minus disapproval) fell from +27 in early 2025 to -6 in May 2026. Only 25% of white rural voters strongly approve of his job performance, compared to 49% who say they are worse off financially than two years ago.
Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 35%, near the lowest point of his political career. The rural decline has implications for November’s midterm elections, where Republicans depend on running up large margins among the nearly one in five American voters who live outside cities and suburbs. Brookings Senior Fellow William A. Galston noted that rural Americans’ sentiments do not suggest high enthusiasm for Republican House and Senate candidates, and many could choose to stay home on Election Day.
Sources
- Reuters — Trump’s rural approval rating drop to 50%, June 3-8 poll data, cost of living concerns, farm bankruptcies, and historical context
- Brookings Institution — Trump’s net approval decline among rural voters, manufacturing job losses, farm bankruptcy acceleration, and 2026 midterm implications
- Department of Transportation — Rural driving patterns (30 miles daily vs 17 for urban residents)
- Pew Research Center — Trump’s rural vote margins across 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections
- American Farm Bureau — Farm bankruptcy statistics for 2025 and 2026
- Fox News — Rural voter approval metrics and economic sentiment analysis
