Long Lines at Michigan Food Pantry: How Inflation Is Testing Trump’s Rural Base

CAPAC, Michigan — On a snowy morning in this rural, Trump-leaning community, roughly three dozen vehicles idled outside a firehouse converted into a food pantry. Inside, volunteers packed lettuce, apples and other household staples whose prices have jumped or remained elevated this year.

Taylor Ludwig, a 35-year-old mother of three, arrived in her pickup well before the pantry's 10 a.m. opening in Capac, seeking assistance she had hoped would not be necessary after voting last year for President Donald Trump, who campaigned on lowering everyday costs. "I'm not just gonna follow along somebody like a sheep," she said. "I will follow you until I know it's not OK to."

The scene in Capac underscores a growing tension for Republicans: many voters who helped elect Trump expect faster relief from rising prices and are growing impatient. Reuters interviewed 19 Trump voters across St. Clair County, a region that shifted further Republican in recent years and backed Trump with about 66.5% of the vote in 2024.

Local Stress, National Implications

St. Clair County, along Michigan's eastern edge by the Canadian border, links the blue-collar port city of Port Huron with farms and small towns. The county's roughly 160,000 residents are predominantly white; auto suppliers and other manufacturers anchor parts of the local economy, but limited access to high-paying jobs leaves many households feeling economically left behind.

Inflation has eased in the Detroit metropolitan area, which includes St. Clair County: in August — the latest regional month available — the all-items price index rose 0.7% year-on-year, with an 8.3% drop in gasoline offsetting a 9.4% surge in fruit and vegetable costs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationally, headline inflation moderated from its mid-2022 peak above 9% to about 2.7% in November, but that aggregate figure masks steep price increases in staples such as beef, coffee and orange juice. Electricity prices also rose 6.9% year-on-year last month amid rising demand tied to an AI-driven investment boom, the Reuters report noted.

Voter Sentiment And Political Responses

Most of the 19 people interviewed still blamed former President Joe Biden for inflation, and many welcomed a recent fall in gasoline prices as a positive development under Trump. About half said they or family members were struggling financially, including a Marine veteran, a disabled man and several retirees living on Social Security.

"I would probably vote the way the conditions are going. If he's doing good, if you can see it coming out of a hole, then I give it two more years," said Bob Benjamin, a retired auto worker who picked up groceries for his adult grandchildren.

Economists caution that presidents have limited ability to quickly lower consumer prices and note that trade policies such as tariffs can raise import costs that are typically passed on to buyers. The White House has pointed to tax cuts taking effect in January and says the president will campaign in 2026 to highlight economic policy gains. White House spokesman Kush Desai described the administration as working to confront what it calls a "generational economic crisis" left by Democrats, and accused them of lacking solutions for everyday Americans.

Democrats are already primed to make affordability a centerpiece of their 2026 message. In Michigan they have labeled Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers as "Price Hike Mike," and candidate Mallory McMorrow said she would pair Rogers with Trump in general-election messaging to highlight a perceived disconnect from grocery bills and household costs. Rogers, who has reported substantial personal assets, rejected the attacks and said his working-class background and tariff policy would restore high-paying manufacturing jobs.

Polarization and The Midterm Outlook

Political tribalism deepens the divide over economic assessments. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's overall approval at 39% and his approval on the cost-of-living issue at 27%. While 61% of Republicans still rate him favorably on affordability, that is down from earlier in the month. By contrast, approval among Democrats was 5% and 16% among independents — a pivotal group in competitive races.

Local business owners and voters express mixed feelings. Mareesa Buterakos, who is trying to revive a Port Huron bar and restaurant, cited rising meat prices and concerns about tariffs on tequila but said she wants to give the administration time to deliver results. Others, like Darryl Kalich, an unemployed field service technician, say they regret their vote and are uncertain how they will cast ballots next time.

For Republicans, lingering inflation poses a political risk: if voters perceive little improvement by the 2026 midterms, some who once backed Trump could consider alternatives — a dynamic that could shape control of the Senate and local races in battleground states like Michigan.