Mark Cuban Warns of ‘Red Rural Recession’ — 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard
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Tiffany Lew
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Angela Corry
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Billionaire and Shark Tank co-host Mark Cuban recently shared on social media platform BlueSky that there will be a “Red Rural Recession” soon — his term for what could happen to rural, Republican-leaning states if President Donald Trump’s government budget cuts continue.
Cuban claims that small towns are being disproportionately impacted by “firings, cancelling of grants and contracts with companies, the closing of offices.”
Here are four states that could be the most affected by DOGE budget cuts:
West Virginia
Small agricultural businesses are struggling and waiting for grant funds that have supported them for decades. According to Reuters, West Virginia receives nearly half of its annual budget from federal dollars, but Trump cut $500 million this year to food banks that was due to be provided through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
Furthermore, a major government spending bill enacted on March 15 has led to West Virginia organizations not getting almost $109 million in funds that were sought by the state’s congressional delegation.
Leavenworth, Kansas
Kansas was one of the hardest hit states for agriculture during Trump’s last trade war. A $750,000 federal agricultural grant is currently disrupting farm expansion plans, the Washington Post reported.
The Trump Administration also abruptly cut $1 billion from two programs that supplied local produce and meat to schools and food banks across the country.
Pennsylvania
Western and southwestern Pennsylvania are largely rural. The Environmental Protection Agency canceled at least $2 million in grants in the southwestern area of the state, per Axios. These funds were intended for community-led efforts such as air and water quality monitoring and food security.
Kentucky
Kentucky receives nearly half of its annual budget from federal dollars, noted Reuters. Proposed federal budget cuts threaten many programs, including SNAP and Medicaid, plus environmental and clean energy funding, that are integral to rural counties.
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