Farm country has beef with Trump as midterms approach

President Donald Trump's push to lower beef prices is stirring resentment among cattle ranchers just as Iowa voters prepare for the midterms. An August executive order waived tariffs on as many as 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings, with the product to be sold at 25% below market price. That volume equals roughly 2% of U.S. beef consumption, so shoppers saw little relief: ground beef, near $6.80 a pound, dropped only about 13 cents from August to September, according to NPR.

Producers say the damage came from unpredictability. Zach Raff, an Iowa State University livestock economist, explained that ranchers facing record prices and possible future import increases may sell breeding heifers instead of rebuilding a herd already at a 75-year low. Scott Birker, an Iowa Cattlemen's Association officer who ranches near Garrison, said the surprise hurt fast.

Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, seeking Iowa's open Senate seat, criticized the move, while Democratic opponent Josh Turek ties her to tariff backing. Republican strategist David Oman expects close finishes in the Senate and governor's contests, where Democrat Rob Sand faces Republican Zach Lahn.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →