‘I got off the Trump train’: GOP Farmer explains why the president’s trade wars are costing him rural voters

The former chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party in the battleground state of Ohio explained on MSNBC on Tuesday why he will not be voting for Donald Trump in 2020, as he had done in 2016.

"The economy was front and center at the g7. Of course, the global economy is shaky right now, and it continues to be made shakier because of the president’s unilateral trade war. He is waging it without Congress, although China is retaliating," MSNBC's Chris Hayes reported. "For months we have been reading stories about the farmers of America who have been hit the hardest by the policies, the tariffs, and basically grinning and bearing it. There is information they are reportedly reaching the end of their rope."

For analysis, Hayes interviewed Republican Christopher Gibbs, who raises corn, soybeans, alfalfa and seed stock beef cattle on his 560-acre farm.

"Mr. Gibbs, first, you are a soybean farmer," Hayes noted. "That seems to be the crop that has been most adversely impacted by the tariffs that China has put on in retaliatory fashion. How are things looking from where you stand?"

"Well, no different than the downward movement we saw since the president put the punitive tariffs on way back in March through July of 2018. At that time specifically of soybeans, we lost 20% of our pricing right there -- which put us below the cost of production," he said.

"I just want to make sure I understand this," Hayes said. "For two years, two seasons that you have been producing below costs of production. Does that mean you’re losing money on soybeans?"

"That means we’re losing money on soybeans certainly," he said. "And corn as well."

"Certainly, the administration has put forth the bailouts. I call it hush-money to keep farmers sedated," he explained. "But they put together dollars from the taxpayer, and let’s be very clear, those dollars do not come from China. No matter how many times the president says it, the dollars come right out of the Treasury, right from the American taxpayer."

"I got off the Trump train a long time ago, particularly through the tariff fight. I’ve spoken out against this for over a year," he said.

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