Two months into the Trump presidency and farmers who voted for him are already regretting their decision.
Trump voting farmers told NBC News that the president’s on again, off again tariff policy along with spending cuts are already hurting their bottom line.
West Virginia farmer Jennifer Gilkerson told the outlet that she learned last Friday that a key United States Department of Agriculture program that helps schools and food banks buy products from farms like hers had been cut.
Gilkerson, whose farm sells freeze dried fruits, said she spent thousands of dollars preparing the produce which she is now unable to sell due to federal cuts.
“We’re just in such a state of shock. We just don’t really even know how to respond to all this. We thought that this was sacred and really untouchable,” Gilkerson said. “Everyone thinks all farmers voted for this, but we did not vote for this.”
Meanwhile, Iowa corn and pig farmer Bob Hemesath told NBC that Trump’s trade policy changes could cripple his business.
“I think any farmer will tell you that we will take some short-term pain, but do not make this a long-term extended trade war, because that just won’t be good for agriculture or for the country in general,” said Hemesath.
“I know that this is the way President Trump believes he’s going to create better markets long term. I hope he’s correct. But my fear is that once you lose those markets to other suppliers, it’s very hard to get them back,” he added.
Trump has argued that his tariffs would help American farmers and that they should get ready to supply America and “have fun.”
Justin Sherlock, a soybean and corn farmer in North Dakota, told NPR that message, “really struck a lot of farmers, it was the wrong note.”
Sherlock said initially he thought there would be some method to Trump’s tariff madness but he soon realized it was just chaos.
“Things are changing hour by hour,” he says. “How do you operate a business that way?”
