'Such a catastrophe': Ex-Republican analyst slams Trump's 'stupidest' bailout idea

President Donald Trump's idea to give American farmers a bailout using the money the government has collected from its tariff policies was slammed by a former GOP analyst on Sunday.

Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark's eponymous podcast, discussed Trump's bailout idea during a new episode of "Bulwark Takes" on Sunday. Miller described the policy proposal as "the stupidest policy that I think I've ever seen" and expressed surprise at Sen. John Thune (R-SD) for defending the proposal during an interview on CNN.

"These tariffs, which were supposed to bring about a golden age, are supposed to help rural America in particular, supposed to help the forgotten man," Miller said. "To have them within nine months be such a catastrophe that you have to do a taxpayer-funded bailout to help the people that you f----- over because your policy was so stupid. I mean, that is like a land speed record for policy disaster."

Trump said on Thursday that he is considering giving farmers a cut of the tariff revenue his administration has raised to help struggling farmers, especially soybean growers. Some Republicans like Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have pushed back against the plan, calling on Trump to instead re-negotiate a trade deal with China, which is the primary buyer of American soybeans.

During Trump's first administration, he approved a $23 billion bailout for farmers impacted by his trade war with China.

"Tariffs caused a trade war; trade war caused escalating conflict economically, and one of the many results is that farmers in [Thune's] state can't sell their product, can't sell their soybeans," Miller said. "And as a result, you and I are going to have to pay them."

"We're going to take some of that tariff money that we made, and we're going to give it to our farmers who are, for a little while, going to be hurt until the tariffs kick in to their benefit," he added. "I cannot overstate: this is the stupidest policy that I think I've ever seen."