Reuters (May 16, 2026): “Trump says Iran war is worth the economic pain. These rural voters agree.” | “[A three-time Trump voter said gas prices were hurting his industry, but] he preferred the status quo to Democrats, whom he saw as moving towards “full-blown socialism.””
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/trump-says-iran-war-is-worth-economic-pain-these-rural-voters-agree-2026-05-16/
Posted by SocialDemocracies
12 Comments
Excerpts from the article:
>[I]n two dozen recent interviews along Colorado’s Highway 52 … Trump voters echoed the president’s logic.
…
>Some begrudgingly stood by Trump because of their distaste for Democrats; others expressed faith the president had a plan to bring costs down. It was a testament to the durable, personal bond Trump has built with his base, allowing him to weather multiple crises across his two terms.
>”It feels like he hears us,” said [one woman who spoke about gas prices], “that he is fighting for us.”
…
>[A retired commodities broker] said enduring the momentary pain of high gas prices was worth preventing Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.
>[He] recalled stories of American resilience during World War II, when goods were rationed and households lived with less.
>”I struggle, like everybody else does, but I’m willing to sacrifice a little,” [he] said. “That’s been totally lost in this country, people’s willingness to sacrifice.”
…
>[A] 66-year-old trader with multiple college degrees whose farming cooperative moves 150 truckloads of grain each day… voted three times for Trump, but like many interviewed by Reuters, he considers himself a political independent, saying he distrusts the Republican Party nearly as much as their Democratic foes.
>Gas prices were hurting his industry, he said, and Trump was “naive” to think he could quickly solve the issue. He expected prices would remain high into the fall, even if there was a breakthrough in stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks.
>But he preferred the status quo to Democrats, whom he saw as moving towards “full-blown socialism.”
>”I voted for Trump because the alternative is so bad,” he said.
…
>[One woman] saw war with Iran as inevitable. “Something was going to happen eventually, whether it was Iran doing something to us or us doing it to them.”
…
>[Another woman] said she hated high gas prices, but feared the prospect of a nuclear-armed Tehran even more. “It’s just where we are with this war,” she said. “People just have to give it time.”
>Did she have any red lines? Anything that might shake her faith in Trump’s handling of the war or the economy?
>”No,” she said. “I’m all on board.”
The link to the article: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/trump-says-iran-war-is-worth-economic-pain-these-rural-voters-agree-2026-05-16/
You must have this many brain cells to vote…
What are farm subsidies and bailouts other than socialism?
Ask him for a definition of socialism. None of these idiots will be able to tell you what it really means, along with woke
Socialism is government ownership of industry. Something Trump has been promoting and doing. He is demanding the government own shares of companies in exchange for help. This is actual socialism. For example, 10% stake in Intel. Republicans are now trying to codify this into law. And at the same time they are practicing socialism, fear mongering to their base that the Democrats want to do it.
Way I see it, while Iran and the US was in a negotiation, the US (and lackey) launched an attack on Iran that Trump compared to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, as though the US did the same thing to Iran as Japan did to the US in 1941.
With the Strait of Hormuz, wouldn’t it be within the legitimate national security concern of Iran to shut it down because the country is under unprovoked attack?
There is 7 billion people on this planet being economically damaged, and none of them are blaming Iran. Iran didn’t go and upset the status quo with this new Dept of War. When you call it Dept of Defense, you represent the organization as one who responds to problems. But when it is named Dept of War, the message is that they are *causing* problems, and I bet there are close to 7 billion who agree on that. This chest-thumping Dept of War approach isn’t so smart. The whole world can see the economic damage that it has done.
Someone should have told him about Republican-Socialism where they give huge tax breaks to the 1% and large corporations and leave everyone else with the bill.
I’ll bet you will jump on a program in a heartbeat when the PEDOPHILE PIECE OF SHIT BANKRUPT’s you…🤣
Well, that’s a pretty ignorant world view. But, what can you do. It’s the narrative he prefers so that’s the one he lives with. Someone get this guy to watch anything other than Fox News all day.
It is really crazy to think that people defend Trump policies because the are afraid of socialism like they are in favor of the free market. Trump’s policies do not support a free market and are more damaging to capitalism than any “socialist” agenda the Democrats are pushing.
It is really sad how dumb the electorate has become on economics.
Decades of indoctrination. It’s irreversible damage.
These people have been convinced that Democrats are Satan incarnate. Trump can destroy their livelihoods and they’ll never abandon him. It’s an abusive relationship.
They really need to stop writing these fucking “In this Ohio diner, voters…” articles.
Legitimizing people stuck in an actual cult, with cult beliefs.