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Republican senators are unhappy about Donald Trump’s policy proposal to import beef from ArgentinaBut they are not yet ready to interrogate him on this.
Trump took a dig at cattlemen on Truth Social on Wednesday, as many Republicans have expressed concerns about a White House proposal to import beef from the South American country.
He said, “The cattlemen, whom I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well for the first time in decades is because I have imposed tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% tariff on Brazil.” “If it weren’t for me, they would be doing the same as they have done for the last 20 years – terrible! It would be nice if they understood this, but they would also have to lower their prices, because the consumer is a huge factor in my thinking too!”
Trump’s proposal has come on Argentina The administration has given a bailout package of 20 billion dollars To the troubled country run by his ally, President Xavier Miley.
The move angered farmers and ranchers, including in many states that voted for Trump. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association criticized Trump’s efforts.
“Efforts to manipulate markets only threaten to harm the livelihoods of American cattlemen and women while having little impact on the prices consumers pay at the grocery store,” the NCBA said in a statement.
Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, all of which voted for Trump by large margins in 2024, produce the most cattle, according to the NCBA.
But Cruz, who famously stood up against Trump in 2016 after Trump posted an image describing Cruz’s wife as ugly, deflected when asked about Trump’s policies toward cattlemen.
Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said, “I love Texas cattlemen, Texas is a national powerhouse when it comes to cattlemanship and I’m confident Texas will lead the way.” IndependentAsked about Trump, he said, “He can speak for himself.”
Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) also stopped short of criticizing Trump.
“I think they realize it’s a very small amount of beef that will come from Argentina, and they’re probably more concerned about how much profit the packers are making on it,” he pointed out. Independent,
Marshall said cattlemen are concerned about who is making money on beef when they make very little money on beef coming from Mexico and screwworm, which limits the supply of beef in the United States.
“And because of the decline in imports from Mexico, we don’t have enough hamburgers in this country either,” Marshall said. “So I think they understand it’s just a little blip on the screen.”
But Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) said in a statement on Twitter that she had contacted the administration about its policy on beef.
“The bottom line: If the goal is to address beef prices at the grocery store, this is not the way to do it,” she said. “Right now, government interference in the beef market will hurt our cattlemen. America has safe, reliable beef, and that is a bright spot in our struggling agricultural economy. Nebraska cattlemen cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them when they are just getting by or just breaking even.”
Republican senators face a major conundrum, given that many ranchers and rural states strongly support Trump, but their livelihoods are at risk.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), for her part, criticized Trump’s beef policy.
Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, has long spoken out against a bailout for Argentina.
“President Trump ruined American farmers to help Argentina and now he plans to ruin American farmers too,” he said. Independent“Whatever happened to America First? It appears ‘Argentina First’ is in the White House.”
Miley and Trump have become incredibly close in recent years. Miley’s liberal style of cutting government services took inspiration from Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
But Argentina faces major economic headwinds and the country will hold legislative elections this Sunday.