My wife and I have both been hearing this narrative from coworkers outside of where we live (in NYC), asking if we're living in a ghost town or warzone. It feels strange.
By the way I think the term "flyover state" is probably a bit offensive to folks that happen to live outside of coastal cities.
It's bizarre but if you see the content they are watching and are fed it begins to make sense. They're never exposed to these places so they never have an opportunity to think for themselves.
Often times when I've gone to more rural/southern areas it's amazing how kind the people are - I think on both sides people just forget that there are just regular folk everywhere. The politics attempts to dehumanize.
By the way I think the term "flyover state" is probably a bit offensive to folks that happen to live outside of coastal cities.