Anger is rising in the Republican heartlands as soaring energy bills hammer households that once backed Donald Trump, undermining promises to slash costs and exposing a growing political fault line.

In deeply conservative West Virginia, residents who overwhelmingly supported Trump are now questioning his economic record as electricity bills spiral beyond control.

Bills That Break Households

For Rebecca Michalski, the crisis is personal. Living on a fixed income in Rainelle, she was hit with a $940 monthly electricity bill — more than she earns.

She cut usage to the bone, keeping a single lamp on at night. It made no difference. Faced with disconnection during a winter freeze, she took out a loan just to keep the lights on.

From MAGA to Disillusionment

Michalski once backed Trump. Now she says the strain is pushing her away.

“It’s breaking me,” she said, accusing the administration of failing to act despite repeated pledges to halve energy costs. Her frustration is spreading across communities that delivered landslide support just months ago.

A Statewide Squeeze Takes Hold

Across West Virginia, residents are sharing shock bills online, demanding answers as costs outpace wages. Some households report choosing between heating and food, while small businesses say they are shutting down under the pressure.

The pain is widespread in a state where all 55 counties voted Republican in 2024 — making the backlash politically significant.

Energy Policy Under Fire

Prices are climbing fast nationwide, but West Virginia’s reliance on ageing coal plants has amplified the hit. Electricity rates in the state have surged sharply over the past decade, outpacing inflation and eroding household resilience.

Trump’s push for expanded fossil fuel production has done little to ease bills on the ground, fuelling scepticism even among loyal supporters.

Pressure Builds as Promises Falter

With energy costs still rising and no immediate relief in sight, the gap between rhetoric and reality is becoming harder to ignore.

For voters who once embraced Trump’s message, the test is no longer ideological — it is financial. And for many, the numbers no longer add up.

Red state Trump voters ditch MAGA as energy bills skyrocket

He is such a fghh idiot. Canada didn't even have to retaliate with counter energy tariffs.

NO Sympathy for the Yanks YOU voted in this moron you reap what you sow !! dumb Yanks !!

10 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

NO Sympathy for the Yanks YOU voted in this moron you reap what you sow !! dumb Yanks !!

Every western country is facing the same problem, it's not Trump ...... it's Net Zero!

I'm not believing her monthly electric bill was $940, unless she has electric heat. Her bill might have been $940, but not for 1 month, maybe 4 or 5 months behind.

I lived in Beckley, W. Virginia, and the economy was, probably still is geared toward coal miner's salaries, of 58k-112k a year. I lived in a crappy trailer, and eventually it took 3 of us, to rent a house, as 2 or us couldn't afford it. At the time, it was more expensive the Philly, PA

Electric company using coal, when other options, cheaper, available. Price gouging was silly then, and those not working the mines, struggled. Really expensive for being mostly rural.

I’m sure the good people of West Virginia will find someone to blame:

https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/west-virginia/?r=0

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I'm not believing her monthly electric bill was $940, unless she has electric heat. Her bill might have been $940, but not for 1 month, maybe 4 or 5 months behind.

I lived in Beckley, W. Virginia, and the economy was, probably still is geared toward coal miner's salaries, of 58k-112k a year. I lived in a crappy trailer, and eventually it took 3 of us, to rent a house, as 2 or us couldn't afford it. At the time, it was more expensive the Philly, PA

Electric company using coal, when other options, cheaper, available. Price gouging was silly then, and those not working the mines, struggled. Really expensive for being mostly rural.

The economy is geared towards coal miners' salaries? You must have lived there a very, very long time ago. Currently, there are about 13,000 coal miners working in West Virginia. The total number of people in West Virginia who currently have jobs is about 750,000.

14 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

The economy is geared towards coal miners' salaries? You must have lived there a very, very long time ago. Currently, there are about 13,000 coal miners working in West Virginia. The total number of people in West Virginia who currently have jobs is about 750,000.

Again, I'll rely on my life's experiences, and you rely on MSM.

$940 for an electric bill ... nuff said

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Again, I'll rely on my life's experiences, and you rely on MSM.

$940 for an electric bill ... nuff said

Your alleged experiences which apparently include a belief in coal miners composing a portion of the labor so large that power companies are geared towards providing them with service. When in fact, less than 2 percent are.

And how do you know that I relied on MSM and not figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the Fed?

3 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Your alleged experiences which apparently include a belief in coal miners composing a portion of the labor so large that power companies are geared towards providing them with service. When in fact, less than 2 percent are.

And how do you know that I relied on MSM and not figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the Fed?

Reading comprehension ... once again. I didn't state anything about the power company, except they are not very economical, in producing with coal, rather than less expensive options.

Actually, W.V electric is less than the national average. As was TN, as I lived there also. Why I know the $940 electric bill is BS. Unless she's heating the house with electric, and few people are that dumb.

See how those life experiences come in handy, instead of the MSM BS.

Troll on

Virtually every promise this goofball made during the campaign has either been broken or has not been fulfilled. Very few manufacturing jobs have come back to America, manufacturing jobs are actually down during his tenure, inflation is way up, joblessness is up, tens of thousands of small businesses are going under, tens of thousands of generational farmers are having to sell their farms, and things just continue to get worse under this ridiculously incompetent goon.

Some continue to drink the Kool-Aid and wear the rose tinted glasses and continue to support this fool, but millions upon millions of Americans are waking up from the delusion and realizing that this man was not even close to the man that they thought he was.

Americans should be recoiling in horror at this demonstration of self aggrandizement, certainly the world is looking on with astonishment at the shame he is bringing upon a nation that used to be fairly great, but has descended into a land of chaos, mass murders, political division, shootings, criminality, homelessness, poverty, unemployment, silly levels of real inflation, and diminished influence.

The honor and the pride is completely gone, right out the window. Trump is trashing everything America used to stand for.

I see there is no mention about the effect of data centers.

5 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

NO Sympathy for the Yanks YOU voted in this moron you reap what you sow !! dumb Yanks !!

Well I certainly never voted for that fascist Putin loving criminal but in fairness as he was elected twice, I don't think it's unreasonable to assign responsibility to all Americans.

13 minutes ago, blaze master said:

I see there is no mention about the effect of data centers.

Taxes that didn't benefit me, is #1 reason for me leaving the USA. A big chunk of my income, that stays in my pocket here, TH.

Over regulation would probably be #2, and the cost of being independent. Try installing solar, or having septic system or well installed, to be independent of municipal services. You can't even collect rain water in some areas

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Taxes that didn't benefit me, is #1 reason for me leaving the USA. A big chunk of my income, that stays in my pocket here, TH.

Over regulation would probably be #2, and the cost of being independent. Try installing solar, or having septic system or well installed, to be independent of municipal services. You can't even collect rain water in some areas

The last house I had in canada I had my own well and septic. Also had 9 acres with a wood lot and 2 woodstoves.

Absolutely loved not getting those bills. Mind you took a lot of work to cut 6 cord of wood to heat the house for a year.

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I'm not believing her monthly electric bill was $940, unless she has electric heat. Her bill might have been $940, but not for 1 month, maybe 4 or 5 months behind.

I lived in Beckley, W. Virginia, and the economy was, probably still is geared toward coal miner's salaries, of 58k-112k a year. I lived in a crappy trailer, and eventually it took 3 of us, to rent a house, as 2 or us couldn't afford it. At the time, it was more expensive the Philly, PA

Electric company using coal, when other options, cheaper, available. Price gouging was silly then, and those not working the mines, struggled. Really expensive for being mostly rural.

You have been on ASEAN for quite a while boasting about how well you have managed your finances. I would suggest you are totally out of touch with the struggles of people who have not had your good fortune.

As for AI information, it is probably out of date. AI is a plausibility engine, not a truth engine. It relies on the mass of historical information for what it says. I have caught it out several times on this issue. It refuses to learn from new information until said information outmasses what historical information exists in its database.

In other words, AI can be as dumb as a can of soup, just like some posters on ASEAN.

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Every western country is facing the same problem, it's not Trump ...... it's Net Zero!

Please tell us you are some kind of satire bot as this is the only way you can defend such a comment?

3 minutes ago, Palatus said:

Please tell us you are some kind of satire bot as this is the only way you can defend such a comment?

He is a Pommie Trumpster

56 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Reading comprehension ... once again. I didn't state anything about the power company, except they are not very economical, in producing with coal, rather than less expensive options.

Actually, W.V electric is less than the national average. As was TN, as I lived there also. Why I know the $940 electric bill is BS. Unless she's heating the house with electric, and few people are that dumb.

See how those life experiences come in handy, instead of the MSM BS.

Troll on

It looks like according to you almost half the households in West Virginia are dumb:

"West Virginia's total electricity sales are less than in two-thirds of the states, but the state is fourth in the nation in per capita electricity sales after North Dakota, Wyoming, and Louisiana.68 In 2025, the state's industrial sector accounted for 43% of West Virginia's electricity consumption. The state's residential sector, where almost half of households use electricity as their primary source for home heating, accounted for 33% of electricity use. "

https://www.eia.gov/states/WV/analysis

You see how useless citing your alleged residency somewhere is? As though by living someplace, you would somehow absorb facts like these. It is to laugh.

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Every western country is facing the same problem, it's not Trump ...... it's Net Zero!

The countries that get to Net Zero are going to have an enormous economic advantage over those that keep going with fossil fuels.

It's the same deal as what happened to steel. The American steel mills were digging up taconite at 30% Fe from the Mesabi range as feed. The Japanese, Koreans and later the Chinese were smelting 64% Fe ore from Australia and Brazil.

China has doubled its solar generation capacity over the last two years, currently 1234 gigawatts. It leads the world in solar power.

OTOH, Trump has set the USA firmly on the path of fossil fuels, going so far as to scrap renewables. A short-term gain for long-term pain.

One can accuse the Chinese of many things, being dumb or not thinking long-term are not on the list.

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

You have been on ASEAN for quite a while boasting about how well you have managed your finances. I would suggest you are totally out of touch with the struggles of people who have not had your good fortune.

As for AI information, it is probably out of date. AI is a plausibility engine, not a truth engine. It relies on the mass of historical information for what it says. I have caught it out several times on this issue. It refuses to learn from new information until said information outmasses what historical information exists in its database.

In other words, AI can be as dumb as a can of soup, just like some posters on ASEAN.

Haven't had good fortune, just made a few good decisions, after lots of trial & error, and ALWAYS, lived within my means. Almost never (once/work truck) borrowed money for a depreciating product.

I wouldn't called 3 divorces & 30+ low paying, non career jobs fortunate. A basic, though good, high school education / diploma that prepared me to fill out an application for an unskilled job. Only my last job, @ 33 yrs old paid any decent money, and not till vested at 5 yr mark, so 8 yrs of OK income.

Use of a lot of common sense, even with all the alcohol & drug use, helped a wee bit. And zip for parental guidance.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Virtually every promise this goofball made during the campaign has either been broken or has not been fulfilled. Very few manufacturing jobs have come back to America, manufacturing jobs are actually down during his tenure, inflation is way up, joblessness is up, tens of thousands of small businesses are going under, tens of thousands of generational farmers are having to sell their farms, and things just continue to get worse under this ridiculously incompetent goon.

Some continue to drink the Kool-Aid and wear the rose tinted glasses and continue to support this fool, but millions upon millions of Americans are waking up from the delusion and realizing that this man was not even close to the man that they thought he was.

Americans should be recoiling in horror at this demonstration of self aggrandizement, certainly the world is looking on with astonishment at the shame he is bringing upon a nation that used to be fairly great, but has descended into a land of chaos, mass murders, political division, shootings, criminality, homelessness, poverty, unemployment, silly levels of real inflation, and diminished influence.

The honor and the pride is completely gone, right out the window. Trump is trashing everything America used to stand for.

Trump is billions of dollars richer. All of his staff and Congress who can front-run the stock market and Polymarket betting - wealth!
The rest of Joe American and Family? Royally screwed by his Highness, the King of America, Donald j. Trump.

It's just not fair, don't they know who I am?

Don't they know how great I am?

Don't they know that I am the most incredible human being on the planet? I am the king how dare people not show total fealty to me.

Don't they realize I'm the smartest guy in America? Don't they know how handsome I am?

I'm am so confused, flustered, unhappy and bitter. I hate opposition and I hate disobedience.

Many of his supporters these days seem to suffer from a very bizarre sort of delusion, and the reasoning Works something like this:

. I refuse to put on winter tires because:

• It’s my car, my choice, my freedom.

• The effectiveness of winter tires is not proven, except by studies carried out by the manufacturers (like I’m supposed to trust them).

• My neighbor Bob had an accident even after putting on winter tires.

• Some drivers are already on their 3rd set of tires, which proves their ineffectiveness.

• We do not know what the tires are made of.

• The tire manufacturers scare us with winter just to enrich themselves.

• In fact, I read on the internet that the tire giants invented snow and spread it at night when you sleep.

• If I have winter tires, the government can track me in the snow.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Virtually every promise this goofball made during the campaign has either been broken or has not been fulfilled. Very few manufacturing jobs have come back to America, manufacturing jobs are actually down during his tenure, inflation is way up, joblessness is up, tens of thousands of small businesses are going under, tens of thousands of generational farmers are having to sell their farms, and things just continue to get worse under this ridiculously incompetent goon.

Some continue to drink the Kool-Aid and wear the rose tinted glasses and continue to support this fool, but millions upon millions of Americans are waking up from the delusion and realizing that this man was not even close to the man that they thought he was.

Americans should be recoiling in horror at this demonstration of self aggrandizement, certainly the world is looking on with astonishment at the shame he is bringing upon a nation that used to be fairly great, but has descended into a land of chaos, mass murders, political division, shootings, criminality, homelessness, poverty, unemployment, silly levels of real inflation, and diminished influence.

The honor and the pride is completely gone, right out the window. Trump is trashing everything America used to stand for.

Absolutely spot on. The grifter is running the country into the ground,same as he did to all his other bussinesses.

21 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

It looks like according to you almost half the households in West Virginia are dumb:

"West Virginia's total electricity sales are less than in two-thirds of the states, but the state is fourth in the nation in per capita electricity sales after North Dakota, Wyoming, and Louisiana.68 In 2025, the state's industrial sector accounted for 43% of West Virginia's electricity consumption. The state's residential sector, where almost half of households use electricity as their primary source for home heating, accounted for 33% of electricity use. "

https://www.eia.gov/states/WV/analysis

You see how useless citing your alleged residency somewhere is? As though by living someplace, you would somehow absorb facts like these. It is to laugh.

6 % or so of their income, shouldn't be much of a burden. A household income of 60k a year, 5k a month, and that's a $300 month, not $940.

6 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

NO Sympathy for the Yanks YOU voted in this moron you reap what you sow !! dumb Yanks !!

You have painted all "Yanks" with the same brush. This is extremely ignorant. Most "Yanks" did NOT vote for him, it's a messed up election process - basically politicians buy their positions any more since the horrendous "Citizens United" SCOTUS decision.

19 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

6 % or so of their income, shouldn't be much of a burden. A household income of 60k a year, 5k a month, and that's a $300 month, not $940.

Median household income means that half of all households have an income below that. And West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the country with a poverty rate of 16.7 percent. And 37% spending more than 6% of their household income doesn't mean that they are spending about 6%.

And you're the one who wrote this: "Unless she's heating the house with electric, and few people are that dumb."

You also wrote this:" I lived in Beckley, W. Virginia, and the economy was, probably still is geared toward coal miner's salaries, of 58k-112k a year."

29 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

You have painted all "Yanks" with the same brush. This is extremely ignorant. Most "Yanks" did NOT vote for him, it's a messed up election process - basically politicians buy their positions any more since the horrendous "Citizens United" SCOTUS decision.

As i said NO Sympathy for ALL of You Yanks!! ALL of you need take responsibility for unleashing a moron on the world!! why should the rest of the world suffer for Your mistakes !!!

Can any of the genius leftists explain what Trump has to do with high electricity prices in WV?

13 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

As i said NO Sympathy for ALL of You Yanks!! ALL of you need take responsibility for unleashing a moron on the world!! why should the rest of the world suffer for Your mistakes !!!

OK, Einstein - YOU tell all the Yanks how to fix it. I'll wait.