Ranchers are rebuking Trump for importing foreign beef amid his disastrous trade war and war with Iran that has spiked costs for farmers and ranchers
First, Donald Trump’s reckless trade war devastated American farmers, locking them out of markets completely. Then, Trump started a deadly and costly war with Iran that sent fuel and fertilizer prices skyrocketing, spiking costs for farmers and ranchers as they struggled to sell their crops. Now, Trump is importing foreign beef at the expense of U.S. ranchers.
Rollins has offered no meaningful solutions to help American farmers and ranchers, and when asked which countries are in talks to export beef, Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said, “I am not privy to talk about that.” Rollins also admitted that the beef imports have been “sitting in other countries that would potentially help serve Americans, especially lower-income Americans who really lean into — ‘lean into’ — the lean ground beef.”
The United States Cattlemen’s Association, which represents more than 175,000 cattle producers and feeders, spoke out against Trump’s beef imports, saying, “You don’t put America first by putting U.S. cattle producers last.” The U.S. Farm Bureau said Trump’s plan “will undermine America’s ranchers who work tirelessly to grow food for American families.”
More than a dozen Republican senators have even criticized Trump for the move, including the No. 2-ranked Senate Republican, John Barrasso, who said, “Americans want U.S. beef on the table — not foreign imports.”
In response, DNC Deputy Executive Director Libby Schneider released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s economic agenda is spiraling out of control, and even his own attempts to clean up the messes he’s created are backfiring. Trump’s reckless trade war and war with Iran have made it nearly impossible for farmers to sell their crops as costs on fuel and fertilizer skyrocket and prices at the grocery store remain sky-high. Now, Trump’s desperate attempt to clean up the mess he’s created is coming at the expense of our ranchers who were already struggling to make ends meet. Trump’s agenda isn’t helping families or farmers – it’s only helping himself. It couldn’t be more clear: it’s Trump first, not America first, and voters will remember that come November.”
Under Trump, the agricultural sector is struggling: Farmers growing nine principal crops are projected to lose $32 billion in 2027, compared to $31 billion in 2026. It’s no wonder nearly one in five farmers expect their farms to be financially worse off in a year, and 55% said federal policies over the previous year had hurt them, compared to 19% who said they had helped.
