Trump Approval By Community: According to a study by Gallup with the American Communities Project at George Washington University, President Donald Trump’s approval rating after his first 100 days in office varies widely across communities.
His support remains strong in “Working Class Country,” or 337 counties in Appalachia and the upper Midwest. He also enjoys high numbers in the “Aging Farmlands,” or 161 counties in the rural Great Plains consisting of older, whiter Americans; and “Evangelical Hubs,” or 372 counties mostly in the South that are made up of Americans tied to evangelical churches. Among these three types of communities, Mr. Trump sits at 64%, 64%, and 63% job approval rating, respectively. His approval is also above 50% in “Rural Middle America” (54%); “LDS Enclaves” (53%); “Graying America” (52%); “Military Posts” (52%); and “Exurbs” (50%). Mr. Trump’s job approval is under water in “African American South” (44%); “Hispanic Centers” (39%); “College Towns” (40%); “Urban Suburbs” (34%); and “Big Cities” (28%).
The arguably most important community to monitor is the “Middle Suburbs,” or 77 swing counties around major cities in the Northeast and Midwest that helped Mr. Trump win the White House. These areas, suffering from manufacturing job losses and anemic economic growth, voted for Mr. Trump with hopes that he would restore their communities. After 100 days, his job approval here is split, 48%-47%, a sign that these voters believe he has more work to do. Holding on to his base as well as these swing “Middle Suburb” regions will be key for the president and his party. They will need those voters to help rally support around the Mr. Trump’s agenda and to propel Republicans to victory in 2018.
