Donald Trump's approval rating among rural Americans dropped in June to a new low of 50 per cent, according to the June 3-8 Reuters/Ipsos poll. That compares with 60 per cent approval in February 2025 shortly after Trump took office as a growing portion of rural Americans, including those who voted for the Republican in previous presidential elections, disappointed by his leadership in Washington.
Rural disapproval of Trump's performance meanwhile rose to 48 per cent from 34 per cent in February 2025, according to the poll of 4,531 U.S. adults nationwide. The poll, which was conducted online, had a margin of error of 3 percentage points for people in rural areas and 2 points for Americans overall.
The discontent is notable for a voting bloc that has strongly supported Trump in his presidential campaigns, and could have implications for Trump's Republican party in November's midterm elections, where they will defend slim majorities in the U.S. Congress.
Trump won rural voters by 40 points in the 2024 election, up from 31 points in the 2020 election and 25 points in 2016, according to an exit poll analysis by Pew Research Center.
Cost of Living in U. S
Driving the decline in rural support is disapproval of Trump's stewardship over the cost of living and the U.S. economy, the polling data showed.
Just 31 per cent of rural respondents said they approve of Trump's handling of those issues, while 61 per cent disapproved. In February 2025, about 45 per cent of rural respondents approved of Trump's handling of cost of living issues, and 43 per cent disapproved.
Rural Americans may be more exposed to higher gas prices because they drive more on average than urban Americans, according to federal data.
Those living in rural places travel an average of 30 miles daily in a vehicle, compared to 17 miles (27 km) for urban residents, according to 2022 data from the Department of Transportation's National Household Travel Survey, the most recent available.
Other factors affecting rural America include a difficult year for farmers, saddled by rising fertilizer costs aggravated by the Iran war, low crop prices, and curbed exports due to Trump's trade war.
Diesel prices in several states have also hit all-time highs, threatening slim margins for farmers as well as fishermen opting to keep their boats docked rather than spend tens of thousands more on fuel.
Gas Prices
Trump's overall approval rate of 35 per cent is also near the lowest of his political career, as most Americans fear a continued rise in gas prices fueled by the Iran war, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
