Voters in America’s heartland are finally turning on President Donald Trump’s politics, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to consume them, former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran notes.
Moran, a longtime journalist with ABC who was dismissed by the network last year for calling out the “hatred” within top Trump advisor Stephen Miller, joined the Daily Beast’s Joanna Coles to discuss a recent reporting excursion he made to Iowa to talk to voters ahead of the midterm elections.
He explained that Iowans, like the rest of the country, are very concerned about the cost-of-living crisis, which could prove disastrous for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“The cost of living as [is] everywhere in the country, especially with farmers. You know, they’re now gonna get it even worse given the fact that there’s no end in sight, that Iran is emboldened, and that the price of diesel continually goes up. The administration is trying to blame Ukraine for its war with Russia, which has damaged Russia’s energy exports,” Moran explained, but added that the administration isn’t “fooling anybody.”
He noted that even “staunch Republican farmers” have understood why exactly fuel prices, including diesel, are high.
“They understood why diesel is as high as it is, why fertilizer is as high as it is, why it’s gonna mean a loss for them, you know, not a total loss, but they’re gonna get creamed by the Trump inflation,” Moran said.
“So the cost of living is significant for that. It’s one of the biggest agricultural states in the country,” he said.
He also said that younger voters are acutely aware of the cost-of-living crisis, especially as they come into adulthood.
“People in all walks of life are getting it bad. Talk to young people, they have no possibility of buying a home or even re in of remaining in Iowa, which has become an expensive state for a lot of young people,” Moran said. “And that combination has made people deeply frustrated and angry at Trump.”
Coles asked if young voters “actually align the policies around affordability with Donald Trump?” or if they “ sort of think, you know, it just always gets worse.”
To that, Moran said that younger voters “100 percent” tie affordability problems to Trump.
“Iowans, like most American voters, they look at the presidency as a job that they get a chance to hire for. And they hired Trump for a job, and it was very clear what the job was: reduce the cost of living, make the country more affordable, reopen the possibilities for young people in particular to get a start in life, to start a family. To get a decent job, to find a place to live, all those things. Help people throughout the lifespan who are struggling with these costs.
He added that Trump “is responsible; there’s no question about it. People are not happy with him.”
New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast are released every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday on YouTube, and on other podcast platforms the next morning. Follow our new feed on your favorite podcast platform at beast.pub/dailybeastpod and subscribe on YouTube to watch full episodes.
