After the election of Donald Trump, rural America — which made up a good portion of Trump's base — quickly became a focal point. Authors like J.D. Vance and others wrote about their struggling hometowns in the hopes of understanding the Trump appeal. And despite his 2020 election loss, Trump’s foothold remains strong in many of these pastoral pockets.

A native Nebraskan, author Ross Benes joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in today's episode to discuss what made the Cornhusker State drift right in the 2016 election. Benes is the author of "Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold," published by the University Press of Kansas. A journalist and research analyst, he has written for Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, and more.