Farmers who propelled Trump to presidency fear becoming pawns in trade war

[DonViejo]

By David Weigel April 8 at 4:12 PM

MANKATO, Minn. — Many of the farmers who helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency fear becoming pawns in his escalating trade war with China, which threatens markets for soybeans, corn and other lifeblood crops in the Upper Midwest.

But Jim Hagedorn, a former GOP congressional aide and Treasury official running for an open House seat, says they should keep their faith in Trump.

“He understands just how important it is to these rural areas that we have these markets,” Hagedorn said in an interview at his campaign office. “Do I understand that the president has the prerogative to go out and negotiate? Of course I do. But I trust that in the end, he’s going to do everything possible to make sure that we help everyone in the United States, including our farmers.”

Trump’s aggressive attacks on China over trade are putting Republicans such as Hagedorn in a difficult spot — torn between siding with Trump and acknowledging the economic peril to many of their constituents. The issue presents yet another challenge to the GOP in a tough midterm election year even in the rural areas across the Upper Midwest that swept Trump to victory — and where control of the Senate could be decided.

When China threatened a 25 percent tariff on soybeans, Mike Petefish, who grows the crop over 2,000 acres, feared the worst. Soybeans are a $2 billion business in Minnesota.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/farmers-who-propelled-trump-to-presidency-fear-becoming-pawns-in-trade-war/2018/04/08/2d110a50-398f-11e8-9c0a-85d477d9a226_story.html

[Little Star]

1. I'm bad. I have no pity for them.......

They should have done their homework before voting for a con artist.

[YessirAtsaFact]

4. Most people dont do a lot of homework before voting

Nm

[Achilleaze]

2. republican rock star Comrade Casino* has bigly message for farmers

* aka Dirty Donny, republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief

[Major Nikon]

3. So even after getting royally fucked by Herr Dipshit, they still want to rally support around him

Just when you think they can't get any dummer

[DUgosh]

5. Boo fricking hoo

Lemme find my violin

[Hortensis]

6. Pathetic that China feels obliged to school them.

With Fox's interference, god only knows what kind of lesson they're going to take from this "personal experience," but if it makes them unhappy enough to not vote next November...good!

[LakeArenal]

7. I think here at DU we all knew....

Once the repugnants finished messing with the Dems, they would start eating their own.

But... they weren’t listening then, they aren’t listening still.
Perhaps they never will.

[Golden Raisin]

8. Zero sympathy.

[dalton99a]

9. Let them eat their crops.

[Progressive dog]

10. They voted for a trade war,

and are getting what they voted for.

[SidDithers]

11. He understands just how important it is to these rural areas that we have these markets,

President Dumbass doesn't understand anything.

Sid

[DFW]

12. They can stop fearing that right now

They already ARE pawns in a trade war.

Whether or not it matters enough to them to vote accordingly is another matter entirely. If Fox Noise tells them not to, they won't. Of course, if Fox Noise tells them not to take food or water for the next three weeks, they won't do that, either.

[Wellstone ruled]

13. Hagedorn,another empty suit

looking for a Political Job.

Tim Waltz has Represented this District for quite some time as a DFLer who knew the ground in and around Mankato. BTW,there are three Soy Bean Crushing plants in Mankato which employs several hundred people all Union Members.

What is missing from this story is this,the reporter should have interviewed the folks at the Farm Service office a few blocks away. But,again,send a City Guy to do a Country Report. If you really want the hard facts ,ask the Men and Women who have to make the calls on all those forward Loans they have issued or are about to issue to keep these people in business.


Again,knowing many of the Farmers in Southern and Western Minny,they have for sometime voted against their best interests. Was there for the Farm Collapse of the eighties,they refuse to learn from History.