Trump Announces $12 Billion Aid Package for Tariff-Hit Farmers
Are Trump's tariffs forcing a costly bailout that harms farmers, or does his aid bridge gaps from Biden's economic failures?
Above: A roundtable discussion with farmers and lawmakers in the White House on Dec. 8, 2025. Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump's tariffs created a crisis for farmers by driving up costs, destroying export markets, and forcing taxpayers to fund a $12 billion bailout that won't even cover the $44 billion industry loss. This arbitrary protectionist policy amounts to central planning that picks winners through flattery and rent-seeking, leaving farmers worse off than before.
Pro-Trump narrative
Biden's economy devastated American agriculture with crushing input costs and brutal interest rates, leaving the smallest cattle herd in 75 years. Trump's $12 billion assistance program bridges the gap between Biden's failures and successful new policies that are already bringing prices down and rebuilding confidence across the farming sector.
