Kingsport, Tennessee, a strongly Christian and conservative town with a major military munitions plant, remains largely supportive of President Trump despite falling national approval ratings linked to the Iran war and rising living costs. Its role in producing explosives for Patriot missiles and other weapons gives residents a direct economic and cultural connection to the conflict, while also exposing divisions over whether US military action is justified.

The town of about 58,000 voted heavily for Trump in each of his three elections, and many residents cite preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons or protecting the US as reasons for backing the war. Holston Army Ammunition Plant employs roughly 1,000 people and is the sole domestic supplier of some key explosives and propellant components; veterans make up around 10% of the region’s population. Nationally, Trump’s approval has reportedly fallen to 32%, with petrol prices rising above $4 a gallon amid the conflict.