'Shock to the system': farmers hit by Trump's tariffs and cuts say they need another bailout

[Demovictory9]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/15/farmers-trump-tariffs-bailout-extreme-weather

‘Shock to the system’: farmers hit by Trump’s tariffs and cuts say they need another bailout
With extreme weather and Trump’s looming trade war, US farmers are reeling and resigned to needing more cash help


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Rural counties rallied behind Trump in 2024, giving him a majority in all but 11 of the 444 farming-dependent counties last year, averaging 78% support, according to analysis by Investigate Midwest.

Trump’s vote share rose among farming communities, despite his last trade war which required a $23bn taxpayer bailout for farmers in 2018-19.

Yet anxiety is mounting among the agricultural base.

First came widespread cuts to oversubscribed and chronically underfunded federal climate and conservation schemes designed to reduce costs and greenhouse gases, and improve yields and environmental health.

Trump is also shuttering local food programs which provide farmers with stable domestic markets like public school districts and food banks, helping make farms more resilient to global economic shocks. The USAID, which purchased about $2bn every year in agricultural products particularly wheat, sorghum and lentils for humanitarian aid programs, has been dismantled.

The loss in federal programs alone would have been tough to cope with, but then came the trade chaos. Trump’s tariff announcements began when most farmers already had spring crops in the ground – or at the very least had prepared the land and purchased inputs such as seeds and pesticides, making it impossible to switch to crops that could potentially find a market domesticall

[Scrivener7]

1. Most of them voted for this.

[BoRaGard]

6. Corporate industrial ag-chem-gmo corps will get the handouts

Ma and Pa Kettle will get shit. That's the GOP way.

[Scrivener7]

9. And Ma and Pa Kettle welcomed it all with open arms, but will scream bloody murder when it hits.

[Lovie777]

2. I don't think shithole musk republicans are going to bail farmers out..............

too greedy are they, and they just don't care.

[travelingthrulife]

14. 10 billion, so far, for farmers was announced. Don't know the current status.

[EarlG]

3. It's a weird system isn't it

Farmers vote for Trump because they're sick and tired of all those lazy leeches in the big city begging for free taxpayer handouts from big government.

Trump is elected and within 100 days obliterates the agriculture industry with stupid tariffs and sweeping cuts to programs which farmers relied on.

Farmers beg for free taxpayer handouts from big government.

[walkingman]

4. These are the first people to yell "welfare queens" and vote solidly for Trump - they deserve nothing.

[Rebl2]

13. Then if they

accept money for bailout, the farmers turn into welfare kings and queens.

[Hotler]

5. Bootstraps. nt

[C_U_L8R]

7. So efficient, right Elmo?

Trump is running up the debt doing stupid shit and playing golf instead of actually helping the country.

[thucythucy]

8. Let me guess:

they're fine with Medicaid being gutted and people with disabilities being thrown to the curb;

fine with federal workers being fired and forced into destitutiion;

fine with cuts to medical research, including research on pediatric cancers;

fine with school districts across the country losing funding;

fine with the already pitiful amount of foreign aid we send being slashed;

fine with Social Security staff being cut, local offices closed, and seniors shunted to Musk's X to get news about their accounts;

fine with disaster relief to people in blue states held hostage;

but OMG, now he's hurting us? US!!!??? Quick, somebody do something to undo the damage done by our Orange Messiah!

And then, once they get their relief, they'll go back to supporting all his hateful, hurtful, destructive actions, as long as it doesn't hurt them.

And, I wonder, how many of them consider themselves to be "good Christians?"

It's the end of the world as we know it, and aside from their own financial issues, they feel fine.

[kerouac2]

10. Anxiety is mounting among them?

Welcome to the effing club a$$hats. About time. We've been expecting you here in stressville.

I guess they don't mind govt
money when it's directed at them.

[Blues Heron]

11. Republican farmers are totally full of shit

why are they so so fucked up mentally?

[democratsruletheday]

19. Tradition mostly...

the racism and misogyny they exhibit is learned behavior and passed down from one generation to the next. That's been my observation with my family at least. It's revolting.

[Happy Hoosier]

12. SIGH

They voted for misery, they just thought it was OTHER peoiples' misery.

They think THEY are special.

[republianmushroom]

15. Oh, Boo Hoo, you voted for him, live and learn with out another bailout.

[In It to Win It]

16. USAID could have filled in some of that gap but I guess yall didnt like that either

[democratsruletheday]

17. Full disclosure....my Uncle and Cousins farm

here in West Michigan. Staunch Repukes and Trumpers of course, but always more than willing to take another bailout. Hypocritical Aholes, that they are. They have NO idea that I've checked on all the "subsidies' they've accepted over the years. Like most things it's on the internet....then they continue to vote for that POS. Why wouldn't they, as their handout is always just around the corner.

[IzzaNuDay]

18. The Leopards are waiting and hungry.

Farmer: I never thought the leopards would eat my face!