Donald Trump’s approval rating flips with rural voters

President Donald Trump‘s approval rating among rural Americans has swung back into negative territory, according to a new Fox News poll, reversing a brief improvement seen just a month earlier and raising fresh questions about one of the president’s most reliable voting blocs.

Key Points

• A new Fox News poll found Trump at 44 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval among rural voters, giving him a net -12 approval rating.
• That is a 14-point decline from June, when the same polling series found him at 51 percent approval and 49 percent disapproval, a net +2 rating.
• Trump’s overall approval rating remains deeply underwater at 39 percent approve and 61 percent disapprove, a net -22 rating, unchanged from May and one point worse than June.
• Rural voters continue to view Trump more favorably than voters overall, but dissatisfaction with the economy and inflation remains widespread.

What To Know

Trump’s approval rating among rural voters fell from net positive territory in June to net negative territory in July, according to consecutive Fox News national polls conducted roughly one month apart.

Rural America has long been the foundation of Trump’s political coalition. A 14-point swing in a single month suggests volatility within a group that has historically been among his strongest sources of support.

Republicans heading into the 2026 midterms will be watching closely to see whether declining approval among rural voters translates into softer turnout or reduced margins in competitive states and congressional districts.

In a response the administration has used repeatedly in reply to polling inquiries, spokesman Davis Ingle said “the ultimate poll was November 5, 2024,” adding that Trump is continuing to deliver on a “popular and commonsense agenda” and that “this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.”

Why It Matters

Rural America has become one of the Republican Party’s most important electoral advantages over the past decade. While Trump remains considerably more popular in rural communities than he is nationally, shifts within the group can be politically significant because Republican victories often depend on running up large margins outside major metropolitan areas.

The latest results are particularly notable because they erase a brief rebound recorded in June. After climbing back above water for the first time in months, Trump’s standing among rural voters has once again slipped into negative territory.

That movement also comes as economic concerns continue to dominate voter sentiment. Rising costs, stubborn inflation and renewed tensions involving Iran have all remained prominent issues during the summer, particularly in farming communities that are more exposed to changes in fuel and fertilizer prices.

Rural Approval Swings Negative Again

The latest Fox News poll was conducted July 17-20, 2026, among 1,003 registered voters nationwide and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Among rural voters, Trump recorded:

• 44 percent approve
• 56 percent disapprove
• Net approval: -12

While those numbers are stronger than Trump’s overall standing, they nevertheless represent a sharp deterioration from June.

The previous Fox News poll found:

• 51 percent approve
• 49 percent disapprove
• Net approval: +2

Taken together, the results represent a 14-point swing against Trump among rural voters in just one month.

Long-Term Trend

The July result is the latest twist in what has been an increasingly uneven trend for Trump among rural voters. At the start of his second term, rural America remained one of the president’s strongest political bases.

In March 2025, Fox News polling showed Trump with a net approval rating of +20 among rural voters, even as his overall approval rating nationwide was already slightly underwater at -2.

Support eroded through much of 2025. Rural net approval slipped to +7 by June 2025 before recovering somewhat to +11 in December, suggesting that while his standing remained considerably stronger in rural communities than among voters overall, enthusiasm was no longer as robust as it had been immediately after taking office.

The sharpest deterioration came during 2026. Rural approval dropped from +2 in April to -14 in May, marking the first significant move into negative territory in this polling series.

A brief rebound followed in June, when Trump returned to a net positive +2, but that recovery proved short-lived. The latest survey shows support falling back to -12 in July, a 14-point swing in a single month.

The broader national trend has been more consistent. Trump’s overall approval rating has remained underwater throughout 2026, moving from -16 in April to -22 in May, -21 in June and -22 again in July.

It suggests that rural voters still view Trump more favorably than the electorate as a whole.

However, the gap has narrowed sharply compared with the early months of his second term, and recent polling indicates those voters have become considerably more volatile than they were a year ago.

Rural Voters Still Rate Trump Better

The latest July survey also found that rural Americans continue to give Trump somewhat stronger marks on key policy issues than voters overall.

On the economy:

• Overall voters: 33 percent approve, 67 percent disapprove
• Rural voters: 37 percent approve, 63 percent disapprove

On inflation:

• Overall voters: 27 percent approve, 73 percent disapprove
• Rural voters: 30 percent approve, 68 percent disapprove

On immigration:

• Overall voters: 42 percent approve, 57 percent disapprove
• Rural voters: 48 percent approve, 52 percent disapprove

Those numbers show that rural voters remain somewhat more favorable toward the administration across major issues.

However, every issue tested still produced net negative ratings, including immigration, traditionally one of Trump’s strongest policy areas.

Economy And Inflation Remain A Challenge

The issue breakdown underscores the extent to which economic concerns continue to weigh on the administration.

Just 33 percent of voters overall approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while approval on inflation is even lower at 27 percent.

Rural voters are somewhat less negative but still overwhelmingly dissatisfied. Only 37 percent approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 30 percent approve of his handling of inflation.

Those findings are notable because economic concerns often carry particular weight in rural communities, where household budgets can be more sensitive to energy prices and agricultural input costs.

Iran Tensions Could Be A Factor

The latest deterioration also comes amid renewed military activity involving Iran. While the Fox News survey does not identify the cause of changing voter attitudes, the timing is notable.

Energy markets and fertilizer supply chains are particularly vulnerable to instability in the Middle East.

Farmers and rural communities tend to be more directly exposed to increases in diesel and fertilizer costs than many other groups because those inputs play a major role in agricultural production.

Concerns about prices and affordability have repeatedly appeared in polling throughout 2026. Whether the latest rural decline proves temporary or reflects deeper dissatisfaction remains unclear.

What Comes Next

One poll alone cannot determine whether a lasting shift is underway. What the Fox News trend does show is considerable volatility.

That suggests sentiment within one of his strongest electoral constituencies remains highly fluid.

For Republicans looking toward the 2026 midterms, the key question is not whether rural America remains broadly Republican. It is whether voters who have historically formed the backbone of Trump’s coalition remain enthusiastic enough to deliver the kinds of margins that have powered Republican victories in recent years.