The town of Kingsport in the US state of Tennessee stands out for its loyalty to Trump. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.

In this working-class Appalachian community, there is a "church on every street." Above downtown's historic Lamplight Theatre, a sign proclaims "Jesus first in all things." While more than 300 area churches provide spiritual sustenance to the town of 58,000 people, the Holston Army Ammunition Plant supplies economic nourishment. The plant produces explosives used in Patriot missiles, warheads, and other heavy weaponry.

The costly and prolonged war with Iran, and its knock-on effects on everything from gas to groceries, has led to a steep decline in President Donald Trump's approval ratings. Recent polling places his approval at an historic low of 32% - down 14% from when he took office in January 2025 - with many Republican respondents citing disillusionment with the president's policies.

But in Kingsport, support for the president approaches an almost-religious fervor. The city voted overwhelmingly for Trump in all three of his elections. Most residents either outright support the military action or rationalize the war's necessity.

Pam Robinson, 65, who spent 20 years working at the local chemical plant, says: "If he can stop anyone from having a nuclear bomb, then I'm for it." Veteran David Carter adds: "The whole reason we go over there, and we keep everything under control there, is [so that] we don't have it on our doorstep." Veteran James Camper, 63, says: "Honestly, I think we should turn them into a parking lot and don't worry about it anymore."

Veterans account for around 10% of the region's population, and many other households have active duty family members. Robinson believes the remote nature of the war may be preventing local people from being more upset with Trump: "Let me say this: If it was hand-to-hand and more people were getting killed, people would be banging the doors down."

Kingsport's position as a main munitions manufacturer - with Holston standing as the only domestic supplier of some essential explosive and propellant components - gives its residents a unique perspective on the war in Iran. The plant employs around 1,000 people. Daniel Overstreet, 53, says: "The plant's going to be open regardless of whether we're at war or whether we're not. It is what it is." He believes Trump and the administration are "doing a great job" but there are "too many people trying to fight him": "[He said] he would get the gas prices under control, and they were for a while. He said he was gonna get food prices down, but he has no control over that. The president is basically a puppet for Congress and the Senate. His hands are tied, to a certain extent."

Residents complain about high prices but don't blame Trump. Robinson says: "He's done good on some things; I think he needs to check his advisers and see on some things." However, it was Trump himself who announced his decision to strike Iran in February 2026. In an eight-minute video, he said "the objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime" - and claimed Iran "will never have a nuclear weapon."

Evangelist William Bogle, 75, voted for Trump every time he ran and believes the president is "doing a good job" - even though his wife "has to stretch a grocery dollar until, you know, it's big as a bedsheet." He says Trump is "just gonna have to do a little bit better in some things than he's doing right now."