Trump’s Hold on Rural America Is Key to His Resilience

Republican voters in Hancock County largely rejected Donald Trump eight years ago, giving him less than a fifth of the vote in the GOP caucuses. As recently as a year ago, some party faithful here and elsewhere in Iowa seemed eager to move on, saying they were tired of the former president’s chaos and liabilities.

Now Trump appears poised to win this county Monday and claim victory in Iowa’s caucuses, powered largely by his overwhelming support among rural voters who see him as the best candidate to advance a populist conservative agenda. That pattern...