It’s hard to tell what Donald Trump thinks about the farm economy. On Friday, he told an audience of supplicant farmers at the White House that they’re all doing just fine financially:
Trump started his remarks by highlighting the “beautiful” White House, clarifying that he’s “seen them all” and that there’s “no other house like it,” before moving on to his administration’s December announcement — a $12 billion bridge payment plan for farmers impacted by his tariffs.
“We love the American farmer,” the president said. “I just gave you 12 billion dollars. I don’t know if you know that or not. You make enough money. It doesn’t matter to you, right?”
While plenty of cheers could be heard after “12 billion dollars,” the crowd went largely silent after “you make enough money” [Kathryn Wilkens, “‘Doesn’t Matter to You, Right?’ Trump Claims Tariff-Hit Farmers ‘Make Enough Money’,” Mediaite, 2026.03.27].
But apparently farmers aren’t making enough money, since Trump has gone from beating them up with illegal tariffs to blowing up their fuel and fertilizer prices with his war of choice in Iran. After saying farmers make enough money, Trump announced he’ll hand out more loans and other favors to get farmers through the hard times he’s still blaming on President Joe Biden:
After a White House event with farmers on Friday, Trump introduced several new measures, including new federal loan guarantees and an update to renewable fuel standards, meant to boost US agriculture as the conflict in Iran continues.
…The Small Business Administration (SBA) said in a statement that it will administer the loans, which aim to expand food production and supply and reduce grocery costs for consumers. The loans would come with a 90% federal guarantee, up from the 75% offered through the agency’s existing loan program. Certain small businesses would become eligible starting 1 May.
In a statement, Kelly Loeffler, the SBA administrator, a close Trump ally, said that the measure will “tackle the record-high prices of the Biden Administration” [Gaya Gupta, “Trump Provides New Aid for Farmers and Food Suppliers Amid Iran War,” The Guardian, 2026.03.27].
Worth noting: Biden authorized pretty much the same amount of direct payments to farmers as Trump did in his first term, and net farm income was higher under Biden than under Trump 1.0. And Biden certainly didn’t wage random trade wars and shooting wars that undermined farmers’ bottom lines.
Ag producers have destroyed shelter belts to plant industrial crops that deplete aquifers and now drought is blowing toxin-laden topsoil into downwind states. Spring wildfire seasons have begun in Nebraska, eastern Colorado, western Kansas, the panhandles of Oklahoma, Texas and other Republican-held areas where moral hazard and poor ranching practices routinely decimate the high plains.
And, as the Trump Organization wars against its own constituency, ends environmental protection and ag bankers enslave landowners more farmers are headed for bankruptcy. The number of farms filing for bankruptcy increased in 2025 after the relative prosperity during the Biden years according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.