Fear and pain in rural America as Trump breaks his promise [View all]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/04/poor-americans-are-starting-to-realise-trump-is-failing-the/

Fear and pain in rural America as Trump breaks his promise
The US president vowed to stop sky-high price rises. Instead, the cost of living crisis is getting worse


Lincoln County in south-east Arkansas is the epitome of rural, broke America. While it is not the poorest place, it is in the most impoverished fifth of the country.

Many people who live here struggle to afford even the most basic necessities, including dental or medical care
Families, farmers and businesses alike have all been burned by years of price rises, although worse may yet be to come.

Donald Trump won 74pc of the vote here in 2024 but Lincoln County is one of many places where supporters are starting to resent the fact that, nearly a year into his presidency, he is failing to make the economy work for them.

Even Terry, who has a Trump poster tied to the chicken-wire fence outside his bungalow and has voted for the president in the last three elections, can’t help but feel disappointed.

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“The cost of groceries is too high, every time we go to Walmart it’s over $100 (£74) a week,” he says. “And health insurance charges are outrageous.”

Rather than easing America’s cost of living crisis, Trump’s policies appear to be making it worse.

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Terry’s views are representative of a wider shift.

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Nearly half (46pc) of all Americans say that Trump is wholly responsible for what is the worst affordability squeeze many of them have ever known, according to a Politico poll conducted by Public First. Even among Trump voters, the share was nearly a fifth.

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Todd Dutton, 50, and his son Josh, 29, run a farm that stretches around 5,000 acres across Lincoln County and neighbouring Jefferson County.

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Five years ago, the Duttons could sell soybeans for $14 per bushel, whereas this year they received $9.90.