© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

VIDEO: As Elections Loom, Workers In Trump Country Reckon With Tariffs Fallout

Not seeing the video? Click here.

America's largest nail manufacturer is feeling pretty small these days.

Many of the factory machines at Mid Continent Nail have fallen silent, and more than a quarter of its workforce has been laid off. The company fears it may soon be a casualty of President Trump's trade wars.

The Missouri-based company used to get most of its steel from Mexico, so Trump's 25 percent tariff hit it hard. To stay afloat, Mid Continent Nail raised prices and consequently lost a lot of customers.

Despite facing an uncertain future brought on by Trump's tariffs, many of the remaining workers at Mid Continent Nail who voted for him in 2016 still support him. NPR sat down with several of the plant workers to talk about their faith in the president.

Politics is Personal is a three-part video project that explores how some of the biggest stories from President Trump's first years in office have impacted voters — who will decide whether to reward or reject the president and his party in the midterm elections.

You can watch part 2 here.

You can watch part 3 here.

Hear Morning Edition's story by clicking the audio button above.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.