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Surveys look at farmer/rural support for Trump

Many people are wondering if President Trump’s support among farmers and other rural Americans is slipping because of his trade policies. Recent polls offer slightly different answers to that question.

A new Farm Futures survey shows 60 percent of farmers would vote for the president if the election were held today. That’s down from the 75 percent support he received from farmers in the 2016 election.

Seventy-eight percent of farmers who voted for Trump in 2016 said they would still vote for him today, according to the Farm Futures survey*.

But a CNBC-commissioned survey of 18 farm states, as of July 22nd, paints a somewhat different picture. Compared to a survey from earlier this year, Trump’s approval rating increased in ten states and remained steady in seven other states. Only one state, Idaho, shows a decline**.

Trump’s approval rating in Brownfield states in the CNBC poll:

• Illinois remained steady at 46 percent approval
• Indiana went from 56 to 60 percent approval
• Iowa went from 48 to 51 percent approval
• Minnesota remained steady at 50 percent approval
• Missouri remained steady at 63 percent approval
• Nebraska remained steady at 61 percent approval
• South Dakota went from 54 to 60 percent approval
• Wisconsin went from 46 to 47 percent approval

Two other Brownfield states, Michigan and Ohio, were not part of the survey.

*Farm Futures surveyed more than 900 growers from July 20th to August 2nd. Farmers were invited by email to fill out on on-line questionnaire.

**The sample size of the CNBC survey included nearly 200-thousand self-identified rural voters.