FRANCE 24 delegate to the state of Michigan - In Monroe County, Michigan, USA, the rise in the cost of living and the decline in purchasing power do not seem sufficient to change the political convictions of a wide segment of voters. Despite the closure of some stores, the difficulty of selling homes, and the decline in commercial activities, many residents of this rural area still cling to their loyalty to the Republican Party and their support for Donald Trump.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 14:40 Last updated: 02/11/2026 - 14:41

70 kilometers from Detroit, in the southeastern part of the US state of Michigan, near the border with the state of Ohio, is the town of Monroe, which is mostly inhabited by farmers, factory workers and construction companies. Its population does not exceed 20,000 people, according to the last census conducted in 2025. It is noteworthy that this town is the birthplace of the fifth American president, James Monroe, who ruled the United States between 1817 and 1825.

What distinguishes this city is its changing electoral orientation. After its residents voted for Barack Obama twice (2009 and 2013), their political stance suddenly changed and they began to support the Republican Party. Their vote contributed to Donald Trump's victory in this remote county during the 2016 presidential elections.

“I lean toward the Democratic Party, but I don’t speak out about it.”

Darcy Piedmont, 48, has experienced what she calls the "political transformation" of Monroe residents. This American of Canadian origin, who owned a small bookstore, lost many of her customers as soon as she hung on one of the bookstore's walls a picture of Kamala Harris, who was the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.

She told France 24: “I did not expect politics to interfere in the world of literature and thought, and for Republicans to boycott my library. It is very strange.”

She continued: "This time, on the occasion of the midterm elections, I did not hang any picture of any candidate, because I fear the same fate," noting that "she leans more toward the Democratic Party, but I do not speak out about that."

Monroe County is one of 11 counties in the state of Michigan that redrew the political map in favor of Donald Trump, after voting for him three times in a row, after voting for Barack Obama in the presidential elections twice.

“Tired of the inclusion and diversity policies that the Democrats have imposed on us.”

Jennifer Younglove is among voters who always vote Republican. We met her after she performed her electoral duty at Monroe City Hall, where she told France 24: “I admit that the economic and social situation has deteriorated greatly since Donald Trump came to power in 2024. But I would rather vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers than Democrat Abdul Sayed, with whom I have nothing in common. He is a Muslim and I am a Christian. He defends a diverse society, while I just want to live with my children in a Christian religious environment.”

Read also: The American midterm elections: “Knocking on doors” in Michigan... the battle for votes on doorsteps

She continued: "I do not hate anyone and I am not against anyone. I am just tired of the policies of inclusion and diversity that the Democrats have imposed on us since Obama came to power, all the way to Joe Biden. I am American and my roots are American, and I want to remain that way."

We walked around the almost empty city last Saturday. What distinguishes it is the huge amount of closed houses and shops. Many people want to sell their homes, but the selling process has become very difficult due to the lack of customers and the stifling financial crisis that the majority of Americans are experiencing, especially those who live in the countryside.

“Trump must review foreign policy that reflects negatively” on the standard of living

Mikael Anderson, who owns a real estate company in the town, said: “Before the crisis, you only had to wait a month or a month and a half to sell a house. Today, anyone who wants to sell your house has to wait four or six months to find someone to buy it. People here have lost their purchasing power, and many of them have lost their homes because they cannot pay off bank debts.”

He continued with some pessimism: “If the situation continues as it is, I fear that I will close the doors of the agency due to the lack of clients.” Meanwhile, this American investor, who has been voting for the Republican Party for years, called on Donald Trump to "change his international policy and put Americans first."

He explained to France 24: “Our president must review the foreign policy of the United States, and not get involved in wars in which we have no interest, such as the Iran war and what is happening in the Middle East. All of these conflicts drain a lot of money from the American treasury, and reflect negatively on our lives as Americans.”

Read also: Republicans in a last-ditch attempt to avoid an expected defeat in the US midterm elections

He continued: "I notice that the price of gasoline, food, and taxes have reached high levels. We live in the countryside and do not have the same capabilities as some Americans who live in Washington or New York. Trump must pay attention to this matter if he wants to leave some chances for the Republican Party to win the presidential elections in 2028."

“They vote for the Republican Party seriously.”

Not far from the real estate agency, we met a young man, Thomas Abrams (38 years old), who works in the field of art. He is surprised that farmers support the Republican Party and Donald Trump, who, in his opinion, do not care about them at all.

He said: "Trump and Rogers love the rich and the people of big cities like Los Angeles, Washington, or New York. They don't actually care about farmers and construction workers. And yet, Monroe farmers always vote for the Republican Party. This puzzles me a lot."

Then he tried to find an answer to this bias, saying: “I think that the reason farmers support Donald Trump is because the latter provides them with a lot of financial aid. It is not the fate of the Republican Party that matters to them, but rather the money they can get from the White House.”

Thomas confirmed that he voted for the Democratic candidate Abdul Sayed, noting at the same time that he "understands those who give their votes to Mike Rogers."

He explained: "In this region, which is dominated by agricultural and familial character, supporters of the Republican Party often vote for it, father by grandfather, and from one generation to another. They do not change their method of voting according to political changes and what is happening in the world. The son votes for the Republicans simply because his father votes for the same party. Politics does not concern them much, and what matters to them is only the party."

He added: "But despite all this, I do not understand why they are voting for the Republican candidate. Donald Trump wants to burn the world with his wars and policies, and they do not care."

"MAGA base is moving strong here in Monroe."

On the other hand, Michelle Janet, who was ensuring the smooth conduct of the electoral process in the municipality of Monroe, has a different opinion. According to her, political extremism has become a new fashion, not only in the United States, but in all Western countries.

She declared: "Everyone has become extremist, either to the far right or to the far left, to the point that you no longer know what to do," noting that "the number of voters who came to vote in the center where you work has increased to 700 voters since the beginning of the voting process. This is a very important number, which we have never reached in previous elections."

When we asked her to explain the significance of this number, she replied: “In my belief, the 'MAGA' base has moved strongly here in Monroe and the surrounding villages. They see that the Democratic Party is about to win in the state of Michigan, and this will lose them many advantages, so they decided to vote en masse. The evidence, as you can see, is that they do not come alone, but rather accompanied by their family members.”

“Our expenses are limited to purchasing basic necessities.”

As for Hunter Lyons (29 years old), he admitted that he is "very conservative, and that the issues raised today in Michigan, such as the rise in the price of fuel, do not greatly affect the process of choosing the candidate I intend to vote for, as much as the issues of abortion and the proliferation of weapons in our country affect me."

He acknowledged that the year 2026 is the worst year for him, as he can no longer spend money on entertainment, but rather his income is limited to purchasing basic necessities.

This is what made young Jennifer Younglove expect a difficult result this time for the Republican Party in Monroe. She said: "The high cost of living since Trump's return to power has become an obstacle for some Republican voters. I wonder why candidate Mike Rogers is still showing, during his election campaigns, his loyalty to President Trump, knowing that it is the latter who could cause his loss."

Does turnout affect Republican Party policy?

The newspaper "Detroit Bridge" expects that Republican Rogers will win in Monroe County, despite all the social and economic problems that the residents of this county suffer from. But she also noted that electoral enthusiasm and voter turnout in such areas may be critical factors in determining whether Republicans will be able to make up for losses in Democratic-leaning cities and suburbs.

For example, during the 2024 elections in which Donald Trump participated, about 92,000 people cast their votes in Monroe County, while this number did not exceed 70,000 people during the midterm elections that took place in 2018 and 2022.

Taher Hani, FRANCE 24 delegate to Michigan

Keywords related to the article

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.