Fox’s Brit Hume Says Trump’s Tariffs Are ‘Hurting’ Farmers: ‘No Getting Around It’
Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume noted that President Donald Trump’s tariffs have been brutal for U.S. farmers.
Trump unilaterally imposed tariffs on dozens of countries in April, particularly China, which has retaliated with tariffs on U.S. exports. China, which is the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, stopped all soybean purchases before allowing the domestic purchase of some U.S. soybeans. Producers of other crops, such as corn, wheat, and rice, and also hurting. To address the issue, rather than easing U.S. tariffs to encourage other countries to do the same, the president is proposing a $12 billion bailout for farmers negatively impacted by his policies.
If that sounds familiar, there is a reason. In 2018, Trump gave a $12 billion bailout to farmers amid a trade dispute with China during his first term.
On Monday’s Special Report on Fox News, Bret Baier summarized Trump’s latest proposed farm aid package.
“This farm aid package totals $12 billion,” he said. “Up to $11 billion in on-time payments to crop farmers under the Farmer Bridge Assistance program. The remaining is reserved for additional crops not covered in the program. Assistance expected no later than the end of February ’26. And you see crop prices as, you look at the different prices, they’ve taken a hit if you look at the chart as tariff prices have gone forward.”
Hume responded that Trump’s tariffs are to blame for the woes of American farmers, who are “hurting”:
No doubt the tariffs are a factor in this, Bret. There’s no getting around that. And it has put the president now in a position where he’s got to try to help the farmers. They’re calling it a “bridge,” but it’s not a bridge loan. This is a subsidy. This is 11 or $12 billion that’s gonna be paid out is money going into the pockets of these farmers, who are hurting. I don’t dispute that for a second. But a president who is otherwise mostly conservative on economic policies engaging in a government program to try to bail out farmers who are hurt by his other program. That, of course, being the tariffs.
The farm package money will be paid out from a fund of taxpayer dollars controlled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Watch above via Fox News.
