How Trump’s Policies Are Testing Farmers’ Loyalty Ahead of Midterms

Farmers, long a dependable base for President Donald Trump, are showing growing unhappiness with his economic record just ahead of the midterm elections, Time reports. Oklahoma farmer Brent Rendel says costs for diesel and fertilizer, along with changing tariff policy, make planning crops difficult, and he sees more discontent among his peers than before. Trump took 69% of the rural vote in 2024, yet an August AP-KFF poll found 57% of rural voters disapprove of how he handles the economy, including 27% of rural Republicans, who were also less likely to say they would definitely vote.

Producers point to several strains: the global energy shock stemming from the Iran war, tariffs that raised some costs and invited retaliation against U.S. exports, and a decision to widen low-tariff beef imports. Ground beef rose from $5.58 to $6.92 per pound between August 2024 and August 2026, per Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The American Farm Bureau Federation urged Trump to reverse the import plan, saying its price checks at 41 stores showed little change at 30 of them. Democrats Chuck Schumer and Amy Klobuchar introduced a fertilizer reserve bill, while White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said Trump backs farmers and ranchers.

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