Iran is at the top of basically every list his firm tracks, polling at or above inflation and jobs in battleground states, and nobody believes the ceasefire is real because people’s day-to-day experience is telling them otherwise.

Prices at the pump are up 20 to 30 percent in parts of the country. What really got me was this finding: more Americans say we’re in Iran to distract from the Epstein files than say we’re there because of Iran’s nuclear program. That is a really bad place to be if you’re trying to sustain public support for a war, and John’s numbers show opposition is still going down with no sign of stopping.

The other thing we spent a lot of time on is what this all means politically heading into 2026.

The social media figures who normally run cover for the administration are turning on Trump because their audiences are the people who would actually have to fight this war. That cushion is gone. Meanwhile Republicans like Vance are already maneuvering for what comes next, watching the polling, doing the long form interviews, positioning themselves as the ones who saw this coming.

I think the political fault lines are being redrawn faster than I’ve seen in my career. We’ll be digging into all of it again next week.

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The increase in outreach to rural areas was part of the No Kings strategy, as CNN explained:

Almost half the day’s protests took place in red states, or a “battleground area,” organizers said. The diversity and breadth of the rallies reflect a “very intentional” push to organize beyond traditional Democratic strongholds, said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the Indivisible Project, which helped organize protests.

The role of rural America in this moment is what helped make the most recent No Kings historic. While solidly blue places may be approaching saturation, rural America provided so much of the growth we saw last Saturday and showed that we have so much more room to run in rural areas. If we want our movement to continue to grow, we need to be investing in the rural leaders that made miracles happen in small rural red towns, and reaching into previously unreachable places.

You can see a small sampling of rural No Kings protests in this Bluesky thread! Please reply and add your own! You have probably heard of Erica Chenoweth’s finding that it takes at least 3.5% of the population to be mobilized to topple a dictator. Most of these small but mighty rural organizers got above that threshold in mostly very difficult, very deep-red terrain, with a smaller pool of supporters to pull from.

Rural growth of No Kings rallies is vital to adding to our national numbers and breaking records, but it also holds disproportionate strategic weight because of the disproportionate power of rural voters.

Running up the margins in cities is great, but rural America is strategically essential to winning back governing power. Those rural small-town protests might have fewer numbers than bigger cities, but they are a glimpse of a potential to shift an electorate that Republicans can’t afford to lose. Republicans are barely hanging on to the slimmest of majorities, and all that is separating them from their current governing power to the dustbin of history is a few percentage points off their lopsided margins in rural America. If people are brave and bold enough to stand up in a 70/30 Trump county, make a sign, and stand at the intersection for an afternoon – and surprisingly get folks to honk in support – what lengths will they be willing to go to between now and election day?

So, a couple dozen people at a rural small town No Kings rally packs a punch – one that is probably knocking the wind out of Republican strategists this week.

Of course, as No Kings reaches unprecedented, record breaking heights, some armchair critics are going to emerge from the peanut gallery. No one who participated in the No Kings rallies actually expected Donald Trump to drop to his knees and crawl out of the White House crying because he saw some facebook photos of devastatingly clever handmade signs, but nonetheless some people felt the need to construct a straw man. According to them, the protests were performative and they wouldn’t actually change anything. This is a fundamental misreading of the importance of protest and the importance of No Kings, especially in rural America.

We at RuralOrganizing.org have always said, “Get visible, get vocal, get votes.” Rural No Kings rallies are an essential component of that formula. In rural areas and small towns, it can feel lonely being against the Trump administration. If you live in a 60/40 or 70/30 Trump county you’re probably not winning any local elections, your neighbors might have giant Trump flags carpeting your visual landscape, and a minority of especially aggressive and violent Trump supporters might actually threaten you with violence. It’s easy to feel like no one else shares your values, and if you feel that way, it’s easy to get discouraged and not bother to participate politically or even vote. In many rural towns, democrats literally feel like they are the only one, when 30% or 40% of their neighbors feel just like them, but they just ALSO feel like they are the only ones. So rural people with progressive values remain isolated and inactive. And we’re leaving so many strategic votes on the table. While the distance between people who feel like we’re on the wrong track and those who would vote democrat is just one point in big cities, there is an 11 point gap to make up between the people who are dissatisfied with the way things are going and those who are willing to vote Democratic. Again, rural communities represent tremendous opportunity.

But bridging that gap takes hard work and effort from local, rural messengers that people trust – neighbors, teachers, doctors and nurses, farmers, small business people, and just the folks that seem to know everyone else in town. It’s not going to come from the perfect TV ad, and unfortunately it’s not going to come from an earnest 22-year old getting dumped into town three months before the election to knock doors. That change is going to come from the very people who organized and attended rural small town No Kings rallies this weekend.

We have seen that something as simple as putting up a yard sign helps break the cycle of isolation and inaction by breaking up the visual landscape of Trump signs with a visible permission structure to take a different path. Most importantly, our yard signs generate between 5-7 authentic, neighbor-to-neighbor conversations per sign. We heard from rural organizers across the country that they got even bigger turnout to No Kings than in October – and they were surprised by how many honks of support they heard from people as well.

Many of those same people who organized and attended small town rural No Kings rallies are fighting back against ICE detention centers that DHS is trying to build in rural communities, and they’re also building community defense networks to protect their immigrant neighbors and push back on ICE. At RuralOrganizing.org we have trained over 1500 rural people in community immigration defense networks, anti-detention center organizing, and blocking and breaking 287(g) agreements to cooperate with ICE. I can guarantee you that most of those 1500 rural people were at the No Kings rallies, recruiting more of their neighbors into their work.

And as much as rural communities contributed to the national No Kings movement, the No Kings movement has contributed to rural communities, because it gives people something to organize towards, for local leaders to collaborate and learn to work together, for local people to be visible in their communities and build relationships, and for organizers to pull people into deeper work doing immigrant defense, mutual aid, or electoral organizing.

Rural America spread the No Kings message into the heart of the Republican base to show that opposition to the regime is growing everywhere, including the very places where the regime thinks it is the strongest. You may have been amazed by the aerial shots of tens or hundreds of thousands of people marching in New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, but you should also be in awe of all the gatherings of 12 people at intersections in towns of 500, because those rural organizers represent an essential piece of what is required to take down this regime.

Core Messaging Themes

• “No Kings” as a unifying message: A simple, resonant rallying cry against authoritarianism that draws from the Declaration of Independence. It effectively positions Trump as an aspiring monarch and Americans as defenders of democracy.

• Authoritarianism vs. Democracy: The imagery of tanks on Constitution Avenue and military presence in cities is framed as textbook authoritarian behavior. The protests are about rejecting Trump’s power grab—not just about immigration policy.

• Tyranny in plain sight: The parade, the deployment of troops, and Kristi Noem's rhetoric about “liberating Los Angeles” are portrayed as fascist overreaches—symbolic and literal invasions of American cities.

Protest Context & Strategy

• Mass mobilization across the U.S.: Over 2,000 No Kings Day protests, many in rural areas, demonstrating widespread grassroots resistance.

• DC out of step: Trump’s birthday parade is poorly attended, and even DC residents are avoiding it—revealing his political isolation.

• Public opinion vulnerabilities:

  • Trump's deportation numbers are underwater (39–50 disapproval).

  • Strong opposition to federal military intervention in cities (majority prefer local/state control).

  • National Guard and Marine deployment to LA is broadly unpopular.

Polling & Narrative Shifts

• Violence imagery hurts protest credibility: Public reacts poorly to perceived violence in protests, but this can be offset by showing mass participation and peaceful resistance.

• Government response seen as chaotic: Both protests and the government’s response are being viewed negatively—creating space to critique authoritarian overreach.

• Narrative opportunity: Public skepticism of militarized crackdowns creates a rare opening to connect right-wing chaos to authoritarian governance.

Framing Recommendations for Messaging

• Show strength in numbers: Footage of large, peaceful crowds is more persuasive than perfect signs or flags.

• Leverage patriotic imagery: US flags, local pride (like Texas flags), and democratic values help counter right-wing smear campaigns.

• Focus on betrayal of American values:

  • Troops sleeping on sidewalks while Kristi Noem flies in a taxpayer-funded jet.

  • ICE and federal agents are doing Trump’s dirty work—not protecting Americans.

  • Many service members don’t want to be involved and are being mistreated.

Messaging Lines & Protest Sign Ideas

• “No Kings, Fight Fascism, Freedom, F**”* – a viral four-word combo seen across protests.

• “Trump sent you here to cut your pay and steal your benefits” – directed at law enforcement/military.

• “This isn’t about immigration. It’s about authoritarianism.”

• “The real invasion is from Trump’s troops—not immigrants.”

Movement Strategy Insights

• Build community before organizing it: Especially vital in rural areas where fear and isolation are barriers.

• Spread courage, not chaos: Peaceful participation emboldens others, especially in small towns.

• Drown out disinformation: Positive imagery and scale are the best antidotes to right-wing media spin.

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Watch our Weekly Rural Preview

But the conversation wasn’t just about problems—it also spotlighted emerging solutions and new energy on the ground. In Virginia, organizers are mobilizing around Medicaid cuts and highlighting the real-world impact of federal job losses. Across the country, creative tools like the Poster Project are helping local leaders communicate clearly and visually about policies that affect their communities. And even amid political chaos—whether it’s Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s public falling out or far-right school board antics—there is growing momentum for a new narrative: one rooted in accountability, visibility, and a hopeful, actionable vision for the future of rural America.

Main Topics Covered

1. USDA Office Closures

   • Over 100 rural USDA offices were at risk of closure ("Doge list").

   • Due to advocacy and pressure, many offices (especially in Oklahoma and Central Valley, CA) have been saved.

   • Office closures have disrupted services, left new employees in limbo, and weakened federal support access.

2. Grant Delays and Funding Backlogs

   • Roughly 37,000 farmers and rural businesses have signed contracts for conservation and renewable energy projects.

   • Yet only 1 in 5 are receiving funding. About $2.6–$2.7 billion is delayed.

   • These delays hurt small operations that are counting on federal reimbursements for already-started work.

3. Political and Communication Failures

   • Many rural voters associate positive outcomes with Republicans and failures with Democrats—partly due to visibility at local events and poor storytelling from Democrats.

   • A large portion of voters are unaware who is responsible for cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

4. Medicaid Outreach in Virginia

   • Rural Ground Game is contacting over 300,000 low-turnout voters in Virginia to inform them about Medicaid and Cardinal Care cuts.

   • Early outreach shows strong voter concern and willingness to engage.

   • Voters are motivated but confused—many don’t know who’s to blame or that rural healthcare services are affected.

5. Broader Political Context

   • The Trump–Elon Musk feud signals deeper fractures in the GOP.

   • Organizers stress the need to stop relying on chaos and start presenting a hopeful, actionable vision for rural communities.

6. Local School Board Dynamics

   • Far-right chaos in school boards is starting to backfire—even among Republicans.

   • There’s momentum to recruit more balanced candidates and push back against book bans and attacks on public schools.
     

This weekend, we had a fantastic event. Over 900 rural leaders from small towns and rural communities across the country signed up for the Rural Democratic Leaders Conference.

The virtual event brought together rural civic leaders, rural organizers, rural influencers, and Rural Democrats to develop concrete strategies for opposing the takeover of our government by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Over the next few days, we will be compiling all the videos from our event and sharing them with you as soon as they become available. And in the meantime, you can read more about the speakers here.

But today, I wanted to share a video with you from one of my favorite parts of the event.

Watch Nathan Evans Fox perform “Bottleneck” and “Landlords, Bill Lee, etc.” at the Rural Democratic Leaders Conference.

Nathan Evans Fox played two sets on Saturday. Nathan’s songs touched on topics that feel familiar to folks from Rural America. He grew up in Glen Alpine, a small town in western North Carolina, and many of his songs are inspired by the values he learned from his Grandmother, who lived next door to him during his childhood.

Watch Nathan Evans Fox perform “Cigarettes and Moon Pies,” “Jesus & the Buck,” and Texas Blues No. 7.” at the Rural Democratic Leaders Conference.

When I think about growing up in Rural America, I think about neighbors looking out for each other. For me, the rural way of life is all about community members coming together when somebody gets sick to take care of the family, and strangers showing up to help after a climate disaster.

Those are the values Nathan Evans Fox embodies in his country music.

Listen to Nathan Evans Fox on Spotify

Today, it seems like most of the country music out there was written by a Fox News focus group. Way too many country songs are just product placement advertisements for beer, trucks, and fascists.

At a time when some Country singers, like Jason Aldean, celebrate a heritage of hate, artists like Nathan Evans Fox remind us about the better angels in our communities.

The last few months have been exhausting for all of us, and this weekend it was so inspiring to meet hundreds of people across the country fighting for their communities. I’m eager to begin implementing the strategies we've all discussed.

But for now, with all ’s going wrong in the world, I thought you might appreciate his music too.

And be sure to let Nathan know you appreciate his work by following him on Instagram.

This weekend, we hosted our inaugural Rural Democratic Leaders Conference, featuring an impressive array of participants from across the country. Rural Democrats and progressives are motivated, know the stakes, and are feeling the impact of the Trump/Musk DOGE agenda.

Throughout the week, we’ll recap the event in a series of posts. We learned a great deal from the attendees, and we look forward to sharing ideas and building on the great energy.

As Executive Director, I kicked off the Rural Democratic Leaders Conference, noting its purpose: "Today is all about empowering local leaders and organizations that support Democratic candidates and democratic values in their local communities."

We then heard former Baltimore Mayor, Governor of Maryland, and most relevant for our conversations, the Biden administration’s Social Security Commissioner, Martin O’Malley. He has been a forceful voice fighting the Trump/Musk efforts to ruin Social Security - a program that really is a key component for rural prosperity.

O’Malley told us "there are so many big lies being told about Social Security” like Musk calling it a “ponzi scheme” - we all need to call out the lies and speak out the truth about this vital program.

People see the damage Musk and DOGE are doing to Social Security already - especially in small towns and rural communities. He’s traveling the country to sound the alarm and help us fight back.

We next heard from comediate Trae Crowder, who many know as “the liberal redneck.” He told the his own story of growing up in Celina, Tennessee and how it changed over the decades, becoming a MAGA stronghold. And, he talked about all of us doing the work to fight back and make change. Felt good to hear Trae say, "Could not support more wholeheartedly" everyone who is doing things!

One really vital element he told us was at his shows across the country, a lot of rural progressives show up and find like minded people. He said many of people who come realize they are not the only rural Democrat in their town! That’s why visibility and vocal locals matter!

We also were fortunate to hear from former U.S. Representative from New Mexico, Xochitl Torres Small, who was Deputy Secretary at the Department of Agriculture. She pointed out something we needed to hear, “we are not alone” and our nation deserves better. She, listed the risks to rural communities from the Trump administration - and there are many. She draws strength from those who are fighting back!

Leslie Frane, Executive Vice President of SEIU joined to talk about the importance of Medicaid and the very real threats to this vital program. The US House and Senate have already passed budget resolutions that would cut almost one billion dollars. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will mark up the bill on May 7.

Frame reinforced what we all know: Motivation of the attacks on Medicaid is to fund tax cuts for billionaires. And, she did a terrific job outlining the key role of Medicaid in small towns and rural communities.

It wouldn’t be a rural event without music and we had an amazing interlude from Nathan Evans Fox who sang “Landlords” and a new song out soon, Bottleneck. Stay tuned for the videos from that amazing performance and our conversation with Nathan.

I’ll be posting more about the event, including our breakout sessions through the week. In closing, we did lay out Rural Organizing’s plan for 2025:

We are launching a bold national campaign to defend Social Security, Medicaid, and other vital rural services

We already have local organizers in six House battleground districts

We want to help turn people out to your events and recruit high level surrogates to your events.

More to come on all of this!

Tomorrow, RuralOrganizing.org is hosting a free virtual event that will bring together rural civic leaders, rural organizers, rural influencers, and Rural Democrats to develop concrete strategies for opposing Donald Trump and Elon Musk's take-over of our government, which we saw early on was having an outsize impact on small towns and rural communities.

In addition, we intend outline specific action steps we all can take at the local level to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up.

The meeting will last from Noon - 4 PM ET/ 9 - 1 PM PT. You can still sign up to register for the event here.

Today, we're excited to announce our very special guests: former USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, former Social Security Commissioner Martin O'Malley and comedian Trae Crowder, It wouldn’t be a rural event without music and Our musical guest will be insurgent country musician Nathan Evans Fox!

We’re going to have several breakout sessions with some of the true badass organizers, experts and advocates around including:

• Local Fundraising With Community-Building Events, Matt Hildreth, Executive Director of RuralOrganizing

• Rebuilding Your Rural County Party, Zach Melton, Trousdale County Democratic Party, Tennessee

• Protecting Democratic Institutions and the Public Sector from Project 2025, Annie Contractor, Policy Director for RuralOrganizing

• Creating Online Communities with Offline Impact, Dani Cook, Podcaster and Rural Influencer

• How Co-Ops Can Change Your Rural Community, Rosa Ponce and Benny Overton, Southeast Center for Cooperative Development

• Running for Office and Getting Votes in Red States, yours truly, Rep. Aftyn Behn (TN HD51) and former Campaign Director for RuralOrganizing

• Organizing in College Towns with GenZ, Dom Holmes, Pennsylvania Organizer, RuralOrganizing

If you can’t make it tomorrow, you can follow along or check in on our BlueSky account where we will be live-posting. We will also post videos of the sessions on our YouTube channel for those who miss the Conference.

At Rural Organizing, we’re very excited about tomorrow’s event. This is just the beginning of a new phase of our work as we try to help save America from fascism.