Farmers nearing crisis push back on Trump trade policies

[DonViejo]

By RYAN MCCRIMMON 02/06/2019 12:34 PM EST

President Donald Trump’s trade war is magnifying some of the toughest farm conditions since the crisis that bankrupted thousands of farmers in the 1980s — and threatening a constituency crucial to his reelection hopes.

The president’s trade policies have sent U.S. agricultural exports plunging, exacerbating already difficult economic conditions facing farmers. Average farm income has fallen to near 15-year lows under Trump, and in some areas of the country, farm bankruptcies are soaring.

The fate of the farm economy and rural America is fused to Trump’s political future. Farmers and ranchers make up the heart of his base, and their support in battleground Midwestern states like Iowa and Wisconsin could help determine the 2020 presidential election. Although Trump’s standing with those groups generally remains strong, cracks are starting to show.

Hundreds of farmers and business representatives are in Washington this week to pressure lawmakers and the Trump administration to end the trade war by describing the hardships they are facing.

“A lot of farmers are going to give the president the benefit of the doubt, and have to date. But the longer the trade war goes on, the more that dynamic changes,” said Brian Kuehl, executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, one of the groups organizing the fly-in.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/06/farm-crisis-trump-trade-policies-1147987

[sprinkleeninow]

1. "...give him benefit of the doubt..." Ai yi yi! 😫

[Doreen]

2. They are wearing rose colored glasses.

I think it will be worse than the 1980's. Trump seems to always want to be at least one step ahead of the last guy no matter who it was and it does not matter if it was bad or good. Every single thing he said at SOTU was a lie and I did not see all of his speech so I am sure there was more. We are in big trouble all around if he gets what he wants but I do not need to tell you that because that is just preaching to the choir.