A key voting bloc for Donald Trump has said it is fed up with his handling of the economy and may not vote in the midterms because of it.
A poll of rural voters conducted by the Associated Press/KFF found that a majority (57 percent) disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, as rising gas and food prices continue to affect their lives.
More than four in 10 rural voters (44 percent) also believe their local economy has gotten worse during Trump’s second term because of his policies, such as the war in Iran causing an oil crisis and his sweeping tariffs.
Backlash to Trump’s presidency from rural voters—a key Republican demographic in any election cycle—could have disastrous consequences for the GOP in the Nov. 3 midterms.
The survey reveals that rural Republican voters are less likely than Democrats to say they are “absolutely certain” to vote in the crucial nationwide elections (74 percent vs. 81 percent).
When the data is broken down further, the 27 percent of rural Republicans who say they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy are also significantly less likely to state that they are “absolutely certain” to vote than those who approve of the president’s handling of the economy (59 percent vs. 79 percent).
Trump already has a longstanding issue with his MAGA base not going to the polls when his name is not on the ballot.
If key Republican rural voters also do not show up in the midterms, it could be another indication of potential GOP losses that could see the party lose control of both the House and the Senate.
Ed Westrick, a registered Republican voter who lives in rural Texas, described Trump’s second-term job performance as “mediocre, middle-of-the-road.” He told the AP he may not even bother voting in November.
“I hear the politicians talk about making groceries more affordable and making healthcare more affordable, but yet none of them are addressing the issues,” Westrick said.
Tim Slack, a professor of sociology at Louisiana State University and co-author of the book Rural and Small-Town America, said rural voters are now “connecting the cost-of-living crisis” to many of Trump’s policy choices, such as the Iran conflict and his trade wars.
“None of those things are going to bring down prices at the pump or the local Walmart,” Slack told the AP.
“Trump promised to lower prices on Day 1, and instead the cost of living’s continued to climb. And that’s especially painful in rural America.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
