Farmers in Iowa are struggling in Trump’s economy, but many say they still support him

Stu Swanson, a corn and soybean farmer in Galt, Iowa, voted for Donald Trump twice but wrote in Nikki Haley in 2024.Kathryn Gamble for NBC NewsEconomicsFarmers in Iowa are struggling in Trump’s economy, but many say they still support himNBC News spoke to 13 farmers across Iowa this week. Eleven voted for Trump in the past and still largely back him, hoping “to God,” as one put it, “that he follows through” on his promises by the end of his term.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 28, 2026, 8:41 AM EDTBy Peter NicholasGALT, Iowa — Two days after President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Iran, Iowa farmer Mark Mueller got a worrying message from a supplier: The price of his fertilizer had jumped from $795 per ton to $850.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The war had shut down the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipments of the fertilizer, which is the biggest expense on Mueller’s corn and soybean farm in northeast Iowa. He hopes one day to pass the asset to his two adult daughters so they will have some “security in their old age.” On March 6, the supplier called again: Now the price was $950 a ton. Two weeks later, the price jumped to $1,050, nearly one-third higher than when the conflict began.“Scary,” said Steve Rehder, 62, a family farmer in northwest Iowa, when he was asked to assess the overall farm economy.“Volatile,” said Jason Orr, a farmer in northeastern Iowa who serves on the state’s Corn Promotion Board, when he was asked the question.“Miserable,” said Lance Lillibridge, 56, who farms corn and raises cattle in eastern Iowa.Farmers like these have long been a pillar of Trump’s electoral base. When he won re-election in 2024, he carried the rural vote by 40 percentage points, surpassing his margin in his previous two elections.Swanson’s Hagie crop sprayer.Kathryn Gamble for NBC NewsTrump isn’t on the ballot, but he has a lot to lose if his party...