White working-class voters in Ohio and across the U.S. are increasingly turning against Donald Trump over rising costs and unfulfilled campaign promises.

This shift represents a potential erosion of a core electoral coalition. The movement of these voters could signal a broader breakdown in the relationship between the former president and the industrial Midwest.

Frustration is centering on economic instability. Voters cite rising living costs and the continued closure of factories as primary drivers of their disappointment [1, 2]. Some former supporters said they voted for Trump because he promised to bring back manufacturing jobs, but the factories keep closing [3].

Numerical data reflects this trend. While 66 percent of white working-class voters voted for Trump in 2024 [4], recent polling shows a decline in approval. A CBS News poll conducted this month found that 54 percent of white voters without a college degree disapproved of Trump’s performance [5]. This follows a steady climb in disapproval, which rose from 32 percent in February 2025 to 45 percent in February 2026 [5].

In Ohio, the sentiment is mixed. Some interviewees in the region said, "I’m just disappointed" [6]. However, other voters remain hopeful. Dottie Cirino, 64, of Willowick, Ohio, said, "He'll get 'em back down" [7].

These contradictions highlight a divide between those who view the economic pain as a permanent failure of policy and those who believe the former president can still reverse the trend. The tension is most evident in Midwestern locales where the gap between campaign rhetoric and local economic reality is most visible.

“"I’m just disappointed."”

The declining approval among white working-class voters suggests that economic performance—specifically inflation and industrial job security—is outweighing cultural or ideological loyalty. If this trend continues, it could diminish the reliability of the 'Rust Belt' as a guaranteed stronghold for the Trump movement.