American Farmers Are Losing Patience With Trump’s Trade War

Trade wars – easy to win, amirite?

Yeah, about that…

We know our president is ignorant to the effects of trade wars, is to the far left, when it comes to the reliable conservative standard of free trade, and as an oft-bankrupt, proven failure at business, no one should expect him to understand how trade or deficits work.

The problem is, with that glaring lack of economic acumen, he’s still our president, and Republicans in Congress have no will to step up and exercise the oversight authority given to them in the U.S. Constitution.

In fact, for the past several years, the neutered wing of Congress has served as nothing more than a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s ill-advised, destructive impulses.

In recent days, the president has decided to increase tariffs on China to 25 percent. That figure covers around $200 billion in goods, including things like furniture and handbags.

In retaliation, China has raised tariffs on goods from the United States to the tune of $60 billion. This move, set to go into effect on June 1, will cover more than 5,000 products, including beef, flowers, coffee, salmon, fruits and vegetables.

In his ignorance, President Trump has crowed that he loves the position tariffs have put the U.S. in, not understanding that the result of his trade war is seen in rising costs of goods, passed on to the American consumers.

He also doesn’t really understand that if China makes American goods – like produce and meat – unaffordable, farmers and ranchers will suffer.

Trump has been informed of this.

He doesn’t care.

In fact, on several occasions, the president has insisted that farmers would “understand” and still support his trade war, putting their own self-interest and the well-being of their families on the back burner.

He recently called them “patriot farmers,” sure that they’ll tighten their belts and wait for the government bailout – a thing Republicans once balked at – to ease their suffering.

Think about it: Americans must pay inflated prices for goods, by way of raised taxes, so the government can redistribute those monies to the farmers who were hurt by the tariffs, in the first place. That’s pretty much socialism, not conservatism.

I mean, they will stand by him in this, right?

Maybe not.

Farmers are already feeling the pain, and many of them are rethinking their earlier support of Trump and his policies.

CNN approached farmers in Iowa to get their take on the president’s continued attack on free trade.

Iowa farmer Larry Angler, for instance, told CNN that Trump’s trade war combined with recent flooding mean that he and his family stand to lose more than $100,000 this year alone.

That’s a hefty loss.

When asked if he voted for Trump in 2016, Angler replied, “I did — I’ll never vote for him again!”

Donald Trump’s great failure, besides his ignorance of literally everything related to the position he holds, is his ego, and his unwillingness to take good counsel.

He truly believes that his is adored, not for what he does, but for who he is. He feels he can do no wrong. He can cross no line where he could possibly lose his base.

I understand why. For the past several years we’ve seen that, indeed, he could shoot somebody on 5^th Avenue and still not lose the support of some of his followers.

Still, there are those who are seeing the folly of voting for a personality over experience and character, and how reckless voting-as-entertainment can be.

Another Iowa farmer by the name of Robert Ewoldt has resorted to working nights as a truck driver, just to keep the family farm afloat.

Anyone who knows farming knows the days begin before the crack of dawn and stretch on until sunset, some days.

This man has to work nights, as well.

“That’s what’s keeping this farm going,” he said.

When pressed, he admitted regret for supporting Trump in 2016, and that should be understandable.

I guess he’s out of the “patriot farmer” club.

He must be Deep State, or something.

And Iowa farmer Greg Beaman told CNN that he’s grown impatient waiting for Trump’s purported deal-making skills to produce a trade agreement with China that would give American farmers access to the world’s largest market again.

“He better hurry up and start producing a little bit,” he said. “Because so far, what I’m seeing, this negotiation has not panned out.”

And it won’t, because he has rejected the counsel of those around him who understand trade.

Unfortunately, elections have consequences, and we’ve likely not even scratched the surface.