Trump Support Slips Among White Working-Class Voters

Rising household costs have begun to erode support for President Trump among the White voters without college degrees who formed the core of his electoral coalition. In Ohio factory towns and across swing states, these voters describe tighter budgets for gas, groceries and fuel oil as they weigh their choices for the 2026 midterms.

CBS News polling released this month recorded 54 percent disapproval of Trump’s job performance among White voters without college degrees, up from 32 percent in February 2025. The same survey showed the group remained positive on immigration but negative by 22 points on the economy. An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found more than 60 percent of respondents overall attributed higher gas prices to Trump.

Tariffs enacted in 2025 and the U.S. conflict with Iran have coincided with the price increases. National average gasoline reached $4.56 per gallon, the highest level in four years. In Willowick, Ohio, janitor Annette Dombrowski reported that her factory is shifting work overseas and said she now distrusts all candidates. Welder Peggy Liff recalled lower prices during Trump’s first term and questioned the overseas focus.

NPR’s panel of swing-state voters described similar pressures. Participants in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia said they are cutting spending and reconsidering their midterm votes, though one Nevada participant accepted short-term costs tied to the Iran conflict. White House spokesman Kush Desai stated that Trump has warned of temporary disruptions and will deliver renewed working-class gains once those pass.

The shift matters most in states such as Ohio, where Trump won by 11 points in 2024 and Republicans face competitive Senate and gubernatorial races. White voters without college degrees still approved of Trump’s immigration record in the CBS survey, though that margin narrowed from earlier in the term.