'You're right': CNN corners Republican on farmers getting 'rug-pulled' under Trump
A GOP lawmaker admitted that farmers are feeling a crunch under Trump but shrugged off the economic pressures they've felt recently.
CNN's Brianna Keilar pressed Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) to explain how farmers are surviving in a global market affected by war in Iran and a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
"They are so impacted by the strait and the limitations of fertilizer," Keilar told Stutzman, noting he's a fourth-generation farmer. "What that does to the global markets, the cost of diesel, and that kind of thing. And they're really coming off a tough time because of the trade war with China, really hitting a market that was crucial for them. You talk to them, they really just want stability, right?"
Keilar said that farmers "felt that things were going to get a little bit better, and then the rug kind of gets pulled out from underneath them."
Stutzman answered, "You're right," and added that farmers are also struggling to compete with South American soybean farmers. Still, the GOP congressman insisted that farmers are steadfast in their support of Trump.
"Most farmers are saying, 'We get it,'" Stutzman defended. "We understand what President Trump's trying to do. It's having some short-term pain, but in the long-term, we know that it's going to put us in a much better spot."
Stutzman still wants Trump to change course for the sake of farmers, noting that "I won't bet against the American farmer, but any sort of relief that we can get soon is going to be well received."