Why one of the US's reddest counties is losing faith in Trump – video

Rural West Virginia, one of the country's most reliably Republican areas, is showing strains in its loyalty to President Donald Trump as the midterm elections draw near. The Guardian reports that rising fuel costs, the war in the Middle East and the spread of datacenters are all weighing on his standing among the voters who have long formed his base.

Reporters Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone traveled to the state to gauge the mood. West Virginia remains solidly Republican, but the Guardian sees the first signs of a different kind of politics taking shape, and local Democrats are trying to turn that opening to their advantage.

Separately, the Guardian notes Trump's declining popularity and escalating clashes with journalists. It says Trump barred CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House over coverage he considered negative; a federal judge restored their access for now, finding the ban likely unconstitutional, though CNN remains blocked from Air Force One.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →