Why do ordinary Ohio voters still back Trump, according to Rory Stewart?

Rory Stewart says the Trump voters he met in Butler County, Ohio, which voted two thirds for Trump, are courteous, generous farmers and families, not conspiracy theorists. They tell him all politicians are corrupt and that Trump at least tries to act on Iran and Washington. Alastair Campbell credits Trump's connection to voters' anger and a steady diet of Fox News and talk radio.

• Stewart expects most to stay Republican, with a small but decisive share defecting.
• He wonders whether shy anti-Trump voters will quietly stay home rather than tell a pollster.

▸In their words

“I wonder whether there isn't a phenomenon of the shy anti-Trump voter.” Rory Stewart · at 54:04 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Rest Is Politics (2026-10-30). Read the whole episode summary →

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