Trump’s 2020 gains in rural America offset by Biden’s urban dominance

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpBiden stumps for Newsom on eve of recall: ‘The eyes of the nation are on California’ On The Money: House Democrats cut back Biden tax hikes Abortion providers warn of ‘chaos’ if Supreme Court overrules Roe v Wade MORE became the first Republican presidential nominee in more than three decades to earn more than 1.1 million votes in Los Angeles County last year, when his campaign attracted more than 375,000 new voters in what is otherwise a solidly Democratic fortress.

But Trump’s success in finding new votes in the nation’s largest county was overshadowed by an even more opportunistic campaign — Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden stumps for Newsom on eve of recall: ‘The eyes of the nation are on California’ Biden looks to climate to sell economic agenda Family of American held hostage by Taliban urges administration to fire Afghanistan peace negotiator MORE’s. The 46th president gained 500,000 more votes in Los Angeles County than the previous Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonThe risks of running as Trump-lite If another 9/11 happened in a divided 2021, could national unity be achieved again? Schumer remembers 9/11: ‘Oh my God, this is World War III’ MORE, had in 2016.

That pattern repeated itself in counties large and small last year, as both Biden and Trump drove turnout to a zenith not seen since before American women got the right to vote in 1920. Trump made substantial gains, improving on his 2016 performance to become the most-voted-for Republican presidential candidate in history — but lagging Biden, who earned more votes than any candidate to ever run for president regardless of party.

More crucially, as both parties start plotting their next midterm and presidential election strategies, the divide between the most heavily populated and the least populated counties in America continues to grow: The Hill’s analysis of new data from the Census Bureau shows Biden won 91 of America’s 100 largest counties, while Trump carried 95 of the 100 counties with the smallest populations.

The Census Bureau data shows a widening gap between urban America, where populations are booming and economic activity makes up an increasing share of the nation’s gross domestic product, and rural areas, where people are moving out or dying and where communities are struggling to make a comeback.

Trump won 65 of the 100 counties that lost the greatest share of their population. All 35 of those shrinking counties that Biden won are heavily African American rural areas in the Deep South or Texas.

“We’re becoming more diverse, we’re becoming more urban, and most of that is happening outside of places Trump won,” said William Frey, a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution. “Even though Trump did better than he did in 2016 in some of those bigger places, the groups he was getting are shrinking parts of those populations.”

Across the nation, Trump improved on his…