'We did not vote for this': Trump-backing farmers in 'state of shock' over tariff chaos
The nonstop chaos that President Donald Trump is delivering with his erratic tariff policies and spending cuts is already hurting many farmers who voted for him in the 2024 presidential election.
In an interview with NBC News, West Virginia farmer Jennifer Gilkerson revealed that cuts to a key United States Department of Agriculture program have left her with a large stash of unsold freeze-dried fruits that she had spent thousands of dollars producing under the assumption that they would be bought by local schools.
“We’re just in such a state of shock," she told NBC. "We just don’t really even know how to respond to all this. We thought that this was sacred and really untouchable. So it’s just quite a shock and very devastating. Everyone thinks all farmers voted for this, but we did not vote for this."
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Iowa farmer Bob Hemesath, meanwhile, told NBC that he cannot handle a long-term trade war with America's top trading partners.
"I know that this is the way President Trump believes he’s going to create better markets long term," he said. "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."
Chuck Conner, head of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, told NBC that the nations being targeted by Trump with tariffs have responded by targeting "our soft underbelly," which he said were "our food exports."
"That has always been the case, and that is the case this time around on steroids," he warned.