Trump will welcome farmers and ranchers to White House dinner to celebrate trade, tax wins

FIRST ON FOX: Donald Trump will host farmers, ranchers, cattlemen and agricultural producers from across the country for dinner at the White House on Thursday, a White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital, as the administration looks to spotlight an industry that has long been a cornerstone of both the U.S. economy and the president's political base.

The Rose Garden feast comes as the White House seeks to highlight Trump's America First trade agenda, which officials argue is creating new opportunities for farmers in the U.S. through expanded market access and reduced trade barriers.

The event underscores the administration's effort to strengthen ties with rural America while making the case that Trump's trade, tax and regulatory policies are delivering tangible benefits for farmers. It also underscores how significant these economic issues are for voters in the 2026 midterm elections.

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Thursday's gathering will coincide with the first day of the Great American State Fair kicking off on the National Mall this week to celebrate the 250th Independence Day. 

The dinner also follows several recent agriculture-focused events involving the president, including remarks during National Agriculture Week at the White House in March, a visit with farmers in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, earlier this month and a roundtable discussion with producers and Cabinet officials in December.

Attendees are expected to include farmers from more than a dozen states, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service Administrator Mehmet Oz and lawmakers from major agricultural states.

"President Trump is proud to host American farmers from across the nation at the White House on Thursday," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. "There is no greater champion for American farmers, growers and ranchers than President Trump."

Thursday's dinner menu will feature fresh produce from the White House Kitchen Garden and honey from the White House Beehive, according to a Trump official.

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Agriculture has long been a key component of the U.S. economy and a major driver of exports, with farmers relying on foreign markets to purchase everything from grains and oilseeds to meat and dairy products. Access to those markets often plays a significant role in determining farm profitability, making trade policy a major issue for producers and rural communities.

The White House says Trump's trade policies have expanded access to more than 2 billion consumers worldwide, with countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, India, Taiwan, Vietnam and several others reducing or eliminating tariffs on U.S. agricultural exports. 

Administration officials say food and agricultural exports rose by double digits in 2025.

The administration is also highlighting $12 billion in bridge payments for farmers during trade negotiations, arguing the assistance helped agricultural producers weather the transition as new trade agreements were pursued.

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In addition to trade, the administration has emphasized tax policies designed to benefit rural communities and family-owned farms. 

White House officials say the president's Working Families Tax Cuts package allows producers to fully expense farm equipment and structures, expands deductions tied to rural economic activity and increases the federal estate and gift tax exemption to $15 million.

The estate tax issue has long been a priority for many farm organizations, which argue that taxes on inherited land can make it more difficult for family farms to pass from one generation to the next without selling acreage or other assets.

For the White House, Thursday's dinner is as much about policy as politics. Rural counties were a critical component of Trump's electoral coalition and administration officials have increasingly pointed to trade, tax and regulatory reforms as evidence that the president is delivering on promises made to farmers and agricultural communities during his reelection campaign.