Fox News Power Rankings: Trump country at a crossroads

Republicans have had their share of good and bad election nights this century, but they’ve usually been able to count on the heartland.

Once evenly divided, rural voters have become substantially more Republican over the last two decades.

Nearly two-thirds of these voters backed President Trump in the 2024 election.

REPUBLICANS FACE BRUTAL MIDTERM HEADWINDS.

SIX FORCES COULD HELP THEM DEFY HISTORY.

Today, just under half of rural voters say they’ll support the GOP again in November.

Like other groups, rural Americans are concerned about paying the bills.

Nineteen percent said the rising cost of living is their biggest economic problem in a recent survey , with gas and energy costs not far behind.

The Trump administration has, in part, tried to counter those anxieties by talking about job growth and the AI boom, but rural voters are frustrated about those issues too.

Less than a quarter of rural voters say the economy is in good shape, and unemployment is a focal point: 8% called a lack of jobs and unemployment their biggest economic issue, and only 28% thought there were good or excellent job opportunities in their communities.

DAVID MARCUS: ON THE GROUND IN MIDDLE AMERICA, FOUR ISSUES WILL DECIDE THE SENATE, AND NONE ARE AFFORDABILITY Data centers are part of the story too.

Only 2% called it their biggest economic problem, but that number is larger than it seems.

For 1 in 50 rural voters, data centers are a bigger problem than housing, the cost of living, or getting a job.

These factors have put the Republicans in a tough spot all over the map.