President Donald Trump stirred fresh debate after giving a confusing account of his conversations with China’s President Xi Jinping about the nutrition of American soybeans.
During a meeting with producers of soybeans, corn, cotton, sorghum, rice, wheat, potatoes, and cattle, Trump introduced a new $12 billion farm support package. The aid aims to help farmers absorb rising costs linked to the ongoing US–China trade dispute.
While speaking about soybean exports, Trump said he told Xi that American soybeans are “more nutritious” than those from other countries. He then added that Xi had asked him whether that claim was true leaving many listeners puzzled, since it contradicted his previous sentence. Viewers on social media immediately pointed out the inconsistency, noting that the story didn’t align logically.
This moment comes at a difficult time for the agricultural sector. Farmers historically a strong base of support for Trump have grown frustrated as tariffs and fluctuating trade decisions have cut into their income. Soybeans and sorghum have been hit especially hard, since more than half of annual production is typically exported, much of it to China. Yet since Trump announced a trade breakthrough in late October, China has purchased only about 2.8 million metric tons far below earlier expectations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Face the Nation that China had used American soybean growers as “pawns” during negotiations, arguing that the administration’s new payments are meant to help farmers bridge the gap.
The president is also facing pushback over record-high beef prices. Drought has depleted U.S. cattle herds, and imports from Mexico have slowed due to a parasite issue. Trump announced plans to expand imports of Argentine beef to help stabilize the market.
Alongside these moves, Trump signed an executive order instructing the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to review potential anti-competitive behavior in the food supply chain, including areas like seed, fertilizer, and equipment markets.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised Trump’s trade approach at the event, saying farmers would be less dependent on government payments once international markets fully reopen. She also announced that an additional “bridge payment” is expected soon as the department finalizes recovery efforts from previous years.
Despite these actions, not everyone in the farming community is convinced. Mark Read of the Illinois Soybean Association summed up many growers’ frustrations in a recent interview: “Farmers don’t want free aid. We want free trade.”
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