This rural ranching community is as pro-Trump as ever — even as gas prices soar
Many political strategists have argued that while Republicans have an urban problem, Democrats have a rural problem. Donald Trump clearly outperformed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in rural areas in 2024, and he had a major advantage in Grant County, Nebraska — a rural ranching community he carried by 95.9 percent. According to the UK-based i Paper, Grant remains the most pro-Trump county in the United States — even with the Iran war causing gas prices to soar"Gas prices may be on the rise in Grant County, Nebraska," reporter Daniel Bates explains in the i Paper, "but the people living there still love Donald Trump…. Grant County is miles from anywhere, and that's just how the people who live there like it. It is located in the Sandhills of Western Nebraska, sitting atop vast, ancient dunes blanketed by native prairie grasses. The remote community — home to coyotes, deer and the venomous prairie rattlesnake — is 270 miles (434km) from Denver, the nearest big city, which is in the next state over, Colorado."One of the Trump voters in Grant County who isn't swayed by the Iran war or gas prices is 78-year-old Ellen White, a retiree.White told the i Paper, "Trump is doing the most wonderful job any president has done since Ronald Reagan…. We will have to get through this war, and gas prices are up. But the economy is getting better. It doesn't happen overnight. It's a shame Trump doesn't have several more terms. He's a tremendous person, and I think where we live, we're in good shape."Heidi Merrihew, a 64-year-old curator at the Grant County Museum, said that gas prices are way up in her area but doesn't blame Trump for it.Merrihew told the i Paper, "I think it's just our economy, and it's really sad because we have to pay those high prices. I feel he's doing a good job. Part of the war is not totally blamed on him; he needs other people to work with, different leaders — and that's got to be complicated."Countless polls are showing Trump underwater with swing voters and independents, who helped him pull off a narrow victory in 2024. But in Grant County, many hardcore MAGA voters are still unwavering in their support for Trump.Trump voter Brad Ford, who is 63, told the i Paper he is still "Trump all the way" — adding, "I got no complaints. What is there not to like?"
