President Donald Trump's approval among rural Americans dropped to 50%, a new low, according to a new poll. Reuters noted that the figure marks a 10-point drop compared to that of February 2025, shortly after the president took office.
Conversely, those who disapprove of the president's performance increased, clocking in at 48% of respondents, a 14-point increase from February 2025. The survey polled 4,531 U.S. adults across the country and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Reuters noted that the drop is significant considering that the demographic has largely stood by Trump throughout his political career. It warned that it could have tangible implications in this year's midterms. Overall, Trump's approval rate stood at 35%, the lowest of his political career.
Trump's image has suffered blows with other demographics, including independents. The analysis, conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, examined 21 waves of surveys conducted between July 2024 and April 2026. It found that Trump's support among independents has fallen by 17 percentage points since before he took office.
The decline has been particularly sharp among those who don't have a college degree, a voting bloc that proved crucial in his ascension to the White House.
However, levels among Republicans and Democrats has remained relatively stable. Republican support has hovered around 75%, while Democratic support has remained near 5%.
Around the time of the election, nearly half of non-college-educated independents viewed Trump favorably. By spring 2026, that figure had fallen to roughly one-quarter, according to the analysis.
Researchers found that the erosion in support extended across several demographic groups that favored to Trump during the campaign. Hispanic independents and younger voters, both important components of his electoral coalition in the past election, also reported increasingly negative views of the president over the course of his second term.
Favorability among Hispanic independents dropped from roughly 46% around Election Day to 25% or lower in recent polling. The findings come as broader approval ratings for the president remain under pressure.
Economic concerns appear to be a major factor driving independent voters away from the president. The AP-NORC analysis noted widespread dissatisfaction with inflation and household expenses, issues that have persisted despite Trump's campaign promises to lower costs.
Only about three in ten independents approved of his handling of the economy, and approval of his approach to cost-of-living concerns was even lower. Other AP-NORC surveys during Trump's second term have shown declining support among independents on issues that were previously viewed as strengths for the administration.
