President Trump chided a reporter for asking why struggling American farmers should support a bailout for Argentina’s beef industry, telling the “young lady” that “you don’t know anything about it.”
The White House recently announced a $20 billion package to help the South American country and its President Javier Milei, an early Trump ally, and floated a possible deal to buy some beef from the nation in order to bulk up supply in the US and lower prices.
Aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening, a reporter asked Trump: “What do you have to say to US farmers who feel that the deal is benefiting Argentina more than it is them –”
Trump cut off the reporter, saying: “Look, look, Argentina is fighting for its life, young lady. You don’t know anything about it.
The reporter’s identity could not immediately be confirmed.
“Nothing is benefiting Argentina. They’re fighting for their life. You understand what that means?” the president continued.
“I happen to like the president of Argentina — I think he’s trying to do the best he can — but don’t make it sound like they are doing great. They are dying, alright? They are dying.”
The White House is planning a $20 billion currency swap, or loan, with Argentina’s central bank in an effort to prop up the Argentine peso.
The US Treasury will exchange dollars for pesos, with the expectation that the funds will eventually be paid back, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The arrangement angered US soybean farmers, who have lost market share to farmers in Argentina and Brazil amid Trump’s trade battle.
Just before the bailout was announced, Argentina also dropped its export taxes. China swooped in to purchase 7 million metric tons of soybeans from the nation. It imported zero soybeans from American farmers in September.
“At a time when we should be finding ways to help American farmers deal with this chaotic trade policy, it’s extremely disappointing to see us bailing out Argentina and Argentina farmers in the process,” Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union and a soybean grower, told NBC News.
As Trump spoke to reporters about the bailout on Sunday, he also floated the idea of buying some beef from Argentina to lower prices at home.
In a statement, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said such a beef deal would harm “American cattlemen and women, while also interfering with the free market.”
Justin Tupper, president of the US Cattlemen’s Association, said increasing our reliance on foreign beef “weakens our industry’s foundation and undermines rural America.”
Ground beef prices have hit $6.32 per pound – jumping about 13% from $5.58 at the same time last year, according to August data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Extreme droughts wreaked havoc on the cattle industry last year. The abnormally dry conditions reduced the amount of grass available for grazing, making farmers more reliant on feed.
A spike in demand helped inflate feed prices, piling on additional costs for ranchers and forcing them to shrink their herds.
Further hampering supply was a flesh-eating pest called the New World Screwworm discovered in Mexican cattle herds, forcing the United States to halt imports.
Washington resumed US cattle imports from Mexico in February. The White House has given Mexico a reprieve on steep 30% tariffs until the end of this month, though the nation still faces the same item-specific tariffs targeting steel and other businesses as other nations.
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