As is the case with every presidential election cycle, all eyes are on Iowa and its all-important farm vote. This past weekend, former President Donald Trump held a rally in Council Bluff, Iowa where he focused on immigration reform and the importance of farming in the Hawkeye State.
When it comes to helping the farming industry, President Trump’s past support for American farmers is considered the gold standard for all past U.S. Presidents.
During the 2020 presidential election cycle, then-Trump 2020 communications director, Tom Murtaugh, pointed to the “bold actions” the former president to to help American farmers.
“President Trump has taken bold actions to help American farmers, after years of neglect by past administration,” stated Trump 2020 communications director, Tim Murtaugh.” Farmers know that the President’s efforts to strengthen trade deals and expand markets for American products are not only good for them, but for our economy at large.”
Trump, of course, likes to remind Iowans of what he did for the state's primary industry, as was the case in Council Bluff.
“How the hell can I not? I gave the farmers $28 billion,” said President Trump to the 2,000+ Iowans in attendance.
Trump’s scrapping of the Clinton-era NAFTA and replacing it with “The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), a measure that evened the playing field for the agriculture industry, and helped protect the American farmers against cheap agriculture dumps by countries like India, China, and Mexico.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump has been the single best president in United States history for Iowa agriculture and farmers in general,” said Iowa State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann. “I mean, look, he brought the rain today.”
“President Trump has taken bold actions to help American farmers, after years of neglect by past administration,” stated Trump 2020 communications director, Tim Murtaugh.” Farmers know that the President’s efforts to strengthen trade deals and expand markets for American products are not only good for them but for our economy at large.”
It wouldn’t be a Trump event if he didn’t take a jab at his primary Republican presidential opponent, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Trump bent DeSantis over his knee for his MAGA base of support, reiterating Gov. DeSantis's past issues with Florida farmers, along with the usual “DeSanctimonious” line of attack.
Early this summer, Trump broadsided DeSantis with Iowans, calling his past position with the American farmer as a “complete disaster.”
“He would be a complete disaster for the American farmers and the great people of Iowa. His record on agriculture is terrible because he is totally owned by globalist donors who would like nothing more than to outsource every American farming job to a foreign nation. And he is totally in the pocket of China,” said Trump.
Trump made mention of DeSantis' opposition to Trump's tariffs of China while he was president, and, "heartlessly opposed $28 billion in relief payments to protect our farmers from Chinese abuses." Trump continued to call the governor, "DeSanctamonious," and bring up his congressional record of acting against domestic farmers.
In Florida, local farmers question DeSantis's alignment with who they call "leftist environmental groups” and his past quarrels that appear to support the efforts of the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and The Captains for Clean Water over Florida’s agriculture industry.
Sugarcane farmer Ardis Hammock of Moore Haven, Florida, who praises President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect the American Farmer, reiterates how farmers like herself do not benefit from any government handouts or bailouts.
“Florida sugarcane farmers thank President Trump for standing up for American farmers against foreign government subsidies,” said Hammock “ Despite the ever-rising costs of farming, our country’s sugarcane farmers continue to find new ways to innovate and invest in technology while providing good jobs and abundant food for American families. We do so without direct subsidy checks from the Federal government-- unlike our foreign counterparts whose governments often both directly and indirectly subsidize their farms.”
Gov. DeSantis’s problem with the Florida agriculture industry stems back from when he was a member of the U.S. Congress, where he allegedly committed to supporting a pro-agriculture legislative measure, but did not follow through with his vote in support of it.
During his 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary race against then-Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, the sugar industry poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race in a now-failed effort to defeat DeSantis.
In Florida, sugarcane farmers don’t just grow one crop. After they harvest the cane, these same farmers grow a wide array of different vegetables, including corn, tomatoes, and eggplant.
DeSantis has been actively courting Iowans, garnering significant support from the evangelical voting block of the Republican Party, but in order to win the Iowa Caucus, he must win over the agriculture community in that state.
With three months until Iowa Republicans caucus, Trump has a clear advantage over DeSantis with Iowa farmers.
DeSantis continues his statewide blitz of Iowa next weekend, where he will team up with the Never Back Down Pac for another bus tour.
