An AP-KFF survey of more than 2,000 rural registered voters finds broad disappointment with the Trump administration's health record in rural America. About 8 in 10 rural voters said the administration's policies have had a negative effect or no impact on the health of their communities. Among rural voters who identify with MAHA, 68% said the same, a sign of an apparent disconnect between the movement's priorities and perceived results.
The poll highlights a 'weird split' between Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA messaging and Trump's actions, according to Iowa State political scientist David Peterson. Some MAHA supporters, like Iowa pastor Mike Jager, credit Kennedy with moving the needle but call the impact so far 'minimal.' Others, including Democrat Donna Klocke, say they fear Kennedy's vaccine messaging as measles and polio resurface.
Rural voters also face practical health access and cost pressures. Nearly half say their communities lack enough doctors, and more than a third say hospitals are insufficient—up from 21% in 2017. At least six in 10 worry about healthcare costs, including 80% of working-age rural Medicaid enrollees. The two reports of the poll are identical in substance and contain no conflicting findings.