Trump aims to energize his small-town supporters at a rally in Wisconsin.



MOSINEE, Wisconsin, Sept 7 (Reuters) — On Saturday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump rallied in Wisconsin, a crucial battleground state, aiming to strengthen his support among working-class and rural white voters. Trump has faced a decline in support across many demographics since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee for the November 5 election, replacing President Joe Biden.

Trump spoke in Mosinee, a small town with about 4,500 residents near Wausau, which is located away from Wisconsin's major urban centers, such as Milwaukee and Madison. Marathon County, where Mosinee is situated, has shifted from being a Democratic stronghold—voting for Barack Obama in 2008—to a more Republican-leaning area, having supported Trump by approximately 18 points in both 2016 and 2020.
Nationally, Harris leads Trump by 13 percentage points among Hispanic voters, a significant increase from Biden’s 5-point lead in May. She has also gained seven points among Black Americans compared to Biden’s performance. However, Harris has seen minimal change in her standing with white voters, who continue to favor Trump by 25 points, though this is down from a 29-point lead against Biden.

This enduring support among white voters is seen as a key advantage for Trump, especially in the predominantly white, rural Rust Belt states like Wisconsin. Trump's success in these areas was critical to his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton.
In 2020, Biden's success in part came from regaining some of these voters for the Democratic Party. While Trump's campaign has targeted Hispanics and Black men as key areas for growth, recent efforts have focused on smaller, less diverse Rust Belt towns. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, is expected to intensify efforts in these rural areas in the lead-up to the election, according to Trump advisers.