President Donald Trump prematurely celebrated his ongoing trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping Thursday by urging desperately struggling American farmers to “go out and buy more land and larger tractors” — while at the same time lashing out at critics of his Asia visit as “almost treasonous.”
“I had a truly great meeting with President Xi of China… We agreed on many things, with others, even of high importance, being very close to resolved,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social early Thursday morning.
“I was extremely honored by the fact that President Xi authorized China to begin the purchase of massive amounts of Soybeans, Sorghum, and other Farm products. Our Farmers will be very happy! In fact, as I said once before during my first Administration, Farmers should immediately go out and buy more land and larger tractors. I would like to thank President Xi for this!”
Farmers in recent months have faced multiple hardships, with many questioning their own survival as they've been crippled by Trump trade tariffs.
Trump’s ongoing trade dispute with China led to a major disruption for American soybean farmers earlier this month after China – in retaliation to Trump slapping the Asian nation with a 125% tariff rate in April – halted all imports of American soybeans, leaving farmers enraged, and Trump reportedly in panic.
In Busan, South Korea, Trump’s meeting with Xi was precipitated by a state-owned Chinese company purchasing three soybean cargoes from the American farmers, the first Chinese purchase of American soybeans from this year’s harvest. But critics, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have already labeled Trump’s Asia trip as “a total dud,” a remark that Trump fired back at Thursday morning.