'He's had plenty of time': Red state Trump voters ditch MAGA as energy bills skyrocket

Donald Trump promised to cut Americans' electricity bills in half within his first year and a half in office, but in ruby red West Virginia, some residents are now getting hit with monthly electric bills bigger than their paychecks.

Rebecca Michalski, a disabled woman on a fixed income in Rainelle, West Virginia, opened her February electric bill to find a charge of $940.08, more than her monthly check, The Associated Press reported Thursday. She keeps one energy-efficient lamp on at night and turns the lights off during the day. She took out a loan after receiving a cut-off notice during an arctic blast.

"Every time you see that power bill, you’re just sick," she said. "I already know before I open it. I just dread seeing how much."

She used to support Trump, but doesn't anymore.

“It’s breaking me. And there’s nothing that can be done for it, unless the president does something,” Michalski said about her power bills. “And I don’t see him doing it. He’s had plenty of time.”

Across West Virginia, where all 55 counties voted for Trump in 2024, residents are posting screenshots of their electric bills on social media, demanding answers. Some are choosing between food and heat, while some businesses have shut down entirely because they can't pay the power bill, according to the report.

Electricity prices rose 4.8% nationally in February, and piped natural gas jumped 10.9%, both outpacing inflation, even before the Iran war sent energy costs further ballooning.

West Virginia clings to aging coal plants for 87% of its power, more than anywhere else in the country, even though cheaper alternatives exist. The state's average household electricity rate has surged 73% since 2015.

“All I heard was … ‘Drill, baby, drill,’” said Anthony Crihfield Jones, who runs an overstock retail shop. “OK. Well, they’re drillin’. Why’s my bill the same?”