President Donald Trump announced today that his administration will go forward with a $12 billion relief initiative for struggling farmers nationwide, many of whom are suffering under Trump’s second-term trade war.
On Monday, Trump said that the funds for the deal would come from “a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs.” The money will not actually come from tariffs, as Trump claims, but from a separate fund within the United States Department of Agriculture.
“This money would not be possible without tariffs … because of tariffs, this is possible,” Trump said.
During the meeting, Trump blamed his farm woes on the Biden administration and touted his own accomplishments in the agriculture industry, including lowering beef prices, which have actually continued to rise.
“We inherited a mess. Affordability, but you can call it affordability or anything you want, but the Democrats caused the affordability problem and we’re the ones that are fixing it.” Trump previously called the affordability crisis a “hoax.”
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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins clarified that the relief package would be a “bridge payment” to farmers, with $1 billion held back for “specialty crops,” such as fruits and vegetables. Rollins said the funds “will move” by February 28, 2026.
“This country and our farm economy is facing a crisis that we inherited that most of these farmers have not seen in their lifetime,” Rollins claimed.
It’s not clear if government aid will actually bring sort of relief for farmers and consumers Trump says it will. A report from the Ag Economist’s Monthly Monitor found that experts are split on if the payments are necessary.
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