(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is working on a package to help mitigate potential damage done by tariffs to U.S. farmers “if necessary,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told NewsNation.
Rollins said President Donald Trump understands the “very thin” profit margins and unpredictable futures of America’s agricultural industry.
“The president has our farmers’ and our ranchers’ backs,” Rollins said on Wednesday’s “Morning in America.”
“We’re already putting together — if necessary, we’re hopeful it’s not necessary — but if necessary, a package that can mitigate a lot of that damage, if not all of it,” Rollins added.
America’s agriculturists have been critical of Trump’s tariffs and the uncertainty they bring about. One farmer told NewsNation the tariffs are “very, very, very bad news” for agriculture in the United States, and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., warned farmers are in for a “world of hurt” under the levies.
The concern is particularly strong among soybean and sorghum farmers, who export nearly half their products to Trump’s biggest target in the tariff tit-for-tat: China.
The East Asian country spent $24.65 billion on U.S. corn, beef, chicken and other crops last year.
On Wednesday, Trump’s threatened 104% tariffs on China took effect. In response, China raised its retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. from 34% to 84%, mirroring Trump’s 50% overnight increase.
Rollins called the tariffs a “complete realignment of the American economy,” and noted that discomfort is “somewhat expected.”
The levies have sparked fears of a recession and stunted the stock market, leaving the S&P 500 hovering mere inches above the 20% index needed to put the U.S. in a bear market.
In Trump’s first phone call to Rollins after her confirmation vote, she said the president told her that “after a little uncertainty, we’re going to be moving into a golden age of prosperity for our farmers.”
“And I believe him. I believe in his vision, I believe in his boldness, I believe in his economic prowess,” Rollins said. “I believe in the team he has put in place to ensure that that exact same thing happens.”
How will deportation efforts affect farmers?
Trump’s second term has been marked by an increase in deportation efforts and immigration policies, including an anticipated $998 daily fine for those facing deportation orders who fail to leave.
However, some argue a mass exodus of migrants from the U.S. would crumble the economy and leave the agriculture industry without laborers.
More than five million immigrants were in the workforce undertaking jobs most Americans are unwilling to work in 2024, according to the Pew Research Center.
“No Americans are picking green beans because they don’t want the work,” Rick Newman, senior columnist for Yahoo Finance, told NewsNation in 2024.
Rollins on Wednesday acknowledged that “the labor issue is a real one for our farmers and ranchers.”
“We are working night and day to move forward with a legal but important labor program for our farmers and our ranchers,” Rollins said.
Proposal could cut candy, soda from food stamps
A potential ban on using food stamps for candy and soda has caused controversy. Proponents argue it’s a way to push program members to make healthier choices, while opponents fear it is the first step in a plan to eliminate the program altogether.
More than a dozen states — including Idaho, Tennessee, Arizona and Utah — have put forth bills sponsored by state legislators and other parties asking the federal government to allow SNAP restrictions on candy and sugary drinks.
Rollins said she and other administration officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are fighting for the shift in SNAP policy.
“The taxpayer, while funding the food stamp program, should not be funding food and drinks that are not healthy for our children to be nutrition,” Rollins said.
NewsNation’s Safia Samee Ali and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
