As President Donald Trump is in the midst of a trip to multiple Asian countries, one Virginia-based soybean farmer is accusing him of weakness in standing up for the American agricultural sector.
During a Monday segment on MSNBC, John Boyd — who operates Boyd Farms out of Baskerville, Virginia — said Trump abandoned his "America first" agenda by bailing out Argentina to the tune of $40 billion while leaving American farmers out to dry. He pointed out that China, which used to be the top buyer of American soybeans, now buys most of its soybeans elsewhere due to Trump's tariffs.
"This president sold America's farmers out," said Boyd, who is also the founder of the National Black Farmers Association. "Farmers call every day. And they say that they feel like they've been betrayed by this president, you know, $40 billion to Argentina. And then they start to sell soybeans to China. And then the president comes and invites them here to the United States and then cuts another deal undermining beef cattle farmers here at home. So he always says he's putting Americans first, that he loves farmers. But this doesn't look American at all to America's farmers."
Boyd also laid blame for the ongoing government shutdown at Trump's feet, calling on him to "show some leadership" and get Congress to agree on a deal to fund federal agencies "before he runs abroad."
"When he was running for office, he said that someone who entertained a shutdown looks weak. That's what he said. A president that allows that on his watch is looking weak," Boyd said. "So the president isn't looking strong. Heading out to cut a deal with someone when our own government here at home is is closed, it's not open for business."
The Virginia farmer warned that because annual payments are due for farmers during the harvest season between October and November, and because the government is shut down, there will be "a lot of farms on the auction blocks in the coming months." He also painted a dire picture of rural America as farmers grapple with a tenuous economic climate in the midst of a trade war.
"America's farmers are facing the highest bankruptcy rates in a very, very long time," Boyd said. "Farm suicides are up, farm foreclosures are up. And we're still sitting here talking about a framework. Farmers need to hear ... more stronger language than that here at home."