With President Trump by her side at the White House on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke in front of a crowd of farmers and ranchers and said: “No one has stood more proudly, more strongly, more courageously for this man, this transformational president, than you all, our farmers and ranchers. I want everyone to get to their feet and just thank him for what he has done for our community for our farmers and ranchers. He’s the best.”
As seen below in the Fox News coverage, the crowd did as Rollins said and gave the president a standing ovation.
Secretary Brooke Rollins:
“No one has stood more proudly, strongly, courageously for this man, this transformational president, than you, our farmers & ranchers. I want everyone to get to their feet and just thank him for what he has done. He’s the best”pic.twitter.com/GcUjx9IweM
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 27, 2026
Critics of the Trump administration are responding by reminding Americans that it was Trump’s tariff war that cut off their exports (including, notably, soybeans to China), and that it was the Trump administration that “chased away their labor supply” (undocumented migrants).
Also affecting farmers recently are Trump’s war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which have caused the costs of diesel and fertilizer to skyrocket.
Trump addressed the crowd after Rollins and said: “We love the American farmer. I just gave you $12 billion. I don’t know if you know that or not. You make enough money. Doesn’t matter to you.”
Note: In December, Trump announced that he would give $12 billion in one-time payments primarily to soybean and corn farmers, those hit the hardest by the Trump tariff hikes. Today he said the money was to help farmers “recovering from the Biden catastrophe.”
Trump: We love the American farmer. I just gave you $12 billion. I don’t know if you know that or not. You make enough money. Doesn’t matter to you. pic.twitter.com/xhBCKsqZUx
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 27, 2026
The money comes from the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, which Trump used to give farmers economic aid during his first term.
in October, Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs told PBS: “I think what folks need to realize is how much of our soybean crop gets shipped overseas and is purchased by foreign buyers. That’s about 50 percent. Out of that portion, half of that gets sold historically to China. And China this year has purchased zero amount of our soybeans, which is unprecedented.”