Trump’s Illegal and Unconstitutional Tariff Policies are Devasting American Farmers and Ranchers
It’s easy to talk about loving America’s farmers. It’s harder to actually stand up for them. And when it comes to the trade policies of Donald Trump and his Congressional Republican lapdogs who blindly support him, it’s worth remembering: what they did matters far more than what they said.
Over and over again, we’ve heard the rhetoric about “America First.” But when you look at the results of Trump’s trade wars — particularly with China — it’s painfully clear that “America First” became “Farmers Last.”
Soybeans: Losing Our Biggest Market
Before Trump’s trade war, China bought more than half of all U.S. soybean exports — about $24.5 billion a year. That single market kept thousands of American family farms profitable, including many in rural counties across the West.
Then Trump’s tariffs hit. China retaliated by cutting off U.S. soybean imports completely last July.
Almost overnight, American farmers saw their biggest market disappear, replaced by suppliers in Argentina, who sold over 2.5 million metric tons of soybeans to China while U.S. farmers sat on unsold crops.
So, what did Trump do? He bailed out Argentina with U.S. taxpayer dollars and offered American farmers a government bailout of their own — another $10–14 billion from taxpayers to cover losses his own misguided tariff policies caused.
That’s not leadership. That’s a self-inflicted wound followed by an inadequate and expensive bandage. But rural America is still bleeding.
Beef: Australia Takes the Lead
The story doesn’t end with soybeans. The U.S. beef industry, too, has paid the price.
When Trump returned to the White House and reignited his tariff battles, China let U.S. beef import permits expire, effectively closing the door to American ranchers. Within months, Australia stepped in to fill the gap — and with it, hundreds of millions of dollars that once went to U.S. ranchers went straight into Australian pockets.
In July and August alone, U.S. beef exports to China dropped from $120 million a month to under $10 million. That’s not a small market loss — that’s a total collapse.
American ranchers didn’t lose out because their beef wasn’t good enough. They lost because of political gamesmanship — tariffs, threats, and failed negotiations that turned international partners into competitors.
The Ripple Effect Back Home
When global buyers look elsewhere, the fallout doesn’t stay in Washington. It lands squarely on the backs of local families, the people who work the land, raise the cattle, and rely on exports to make ends meet.
Here in District 5, we know how hard rural economies fight to survive. Droughts, fuel costs, and shrinking markets are challenges enough. But when elected leaders add reckless trade policies on top of that, it’s not just bad politics — it’s economic sabotage.
We Deserve Leadership Rooted in Reality
Strong leadership means thinking through the consequences before making sweeping decisions that hurt the very people you claim to protect. It means working for solutions, not soundbites.
Trump’s tariffs didn’t make America stronger; they made American farmers and ranchers weaker. And anyone who supported or defended those policies — including our own representative Congressman Tom McClintock — owes this district an explanation.
Because while they talk about patriotism and prosperity, their actions have done the opposite. It’s not what they say that counts. It’s what they do.
It’s time to demand more from our leaders — more foresight, more accountability, and a lot less grandstanding. We deserve a government that supports the people who put food on America’s table, not one who use farmers and ranchers as pawns in a trade war of their own making, standing idly by (can you say Government Shutdown) while our livelihoods and healthcare are traded away.