‘Why would he do this to us?’: Trump's foreign beef push is hurting his base, Republicans warn

Trump’s Beef Import Order Draws Fire from Republicans in Key Mid‑Term States

A group of Republican lawmakers from the Midwest has voiced a sharp warning to President Donald Trump over his recent decision to lift tariffs on hundreds of thousands of tons of foreign ground beef. The move, meant to lower grocery‑store prices for consumers, has left many of the president’s most loyal constituents—ranchers and farmers in South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas—facing a new economic challenge as the mid‑term elections loom.

The order, signed last week, will allow the U.S. to import roughly 300,000 metric tons of ground beef. The president said the product would be sold at prices 25 % below market levels for a 90‑day period, with the goal of easing consumer costs while giving U.S. cattle producers time to rebuild herds that have been depleted by drought and the invasive New‑World screwworm.

“They’re hurt,” Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who is running for reelection, told Fox News Digital. “They feel like they’ve been let down.” Rounds said his voters “love the president” and view him like a member of the family, but the import order feels as if the administration has “pulled the rug right out from underneath” them.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, also a South Dakota Republican, added that while he supports lower beef prices, he disagrees with the chosen method. “He’s trying to lower beef prices, which I think we’re all supportive of,” Thune told Keloland. “But we have a lot of beef producers here who produce the highest‑quality beef in the world, and we’re trying to build our herds back up.”

The import strategy has sparked a flurry of meetings between lawmakers and the administration. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met privately with House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon, where the delegation pressed him on ranchers’ frustrations. Greer acknowledged the concerns but maintained that the import plan was a temporary measure aimed at easing high market prices.

House Republicans have also expressed worries about the timing of the imports. Rep. Troy Downing of Montana highlighted that the 90‑day period coincides with the cattle‑market cycle, potentially undermining ranchers’ ability to sell at stable prices. “If a rancher is expecting to get a price at market that suddenly drops out from underneath them, they’re faced with two things—do I invest in heifers for next year, or do I have to sell more calves to make up for that deficit for my operating costs?” Downing told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa, a top target for Democrats this November, said he would bring the issue up during an upcoming dinner with Trump at the White House. “We’ve said the same thing to Greer in there,” Nunn said. “This is not just a one‑year issue on the affordability of beef.”

In a separate round of correspondence, several Republicans—led by Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas—wrote to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging the removal of Biden‑era regulations that limit grazing on public and private lands. The letter called for a “laser‑focused” partnership with the industry to expand grazing opportunities and improve protein‑processing capacity.

Despite the opposition, the administration has defended the import plan. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital that the president has “done more for American agriculture than anyone” through trade deals and market‑access expansions, and that the beef‑price reduction would “continue taking actions to support our great farmers while driving economic prosperity for all Americans.”

Agriculture Secretary Rollins, speaking at an event in Iowa on Tuesday, acknowledged that ranchers felt “like that was a gut punch.” The president, meanwhile, has framed the initiative as a “big picture” strategy to help the U.S. beef herd grow while providing consumers with cheaper meat.

As the mid‑term campaign intensifies, Republicans in these key states are looking for a clear economic message to reassure voters. “People want an explanation,” said an anonymous House Republican. “We want to be able to go to the ranchers, who are big Trump supporters, to be able to say, this administration is fighting for you.”

The debate over the import order illustrates a broader tension between Trump’s consumer‑price agenda and the economic interests of the very farmers who helped carry him to the presidency. With the elections a few weeks away, the GOP caucus is poised to keep the conversation in the spotlight, seeking a path that satisfies both consumers and producers.