OAN Staff Blake Wolf
2:50 PM – Wednesday, October 22, 2025
President Donald Trump defended his decision to import beef from Argentina after facing backlash from beef producers and agricultural-state Republicans, arguing that they need to “get their prices down.”
In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil.”
“If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years — Terrible! It would be nice if they would understand that, but they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!” Trump concluded.
Trump’s post follows backlash from his proposal to purchase Argentinian beef to bring down prices for consumers, as the total U.S. cattle herd is the smallest it’s been since the 1950s.
In a rare break from President Trump’s policies, GOP Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced that she has “deep concerns” about the proposed plan.
“Since hearing the president’s comments suggesting the U.S. would buy beef from Argentina, I’ve been in touch with his administration and my colleagues to seek clarity and express my deep concerns. I’ve also been sounding the alarm on the bleak state of our ag economy and the negative impacts facing Nebraska’s ag industry—the economic driver of our state,” Fischer wrote in a Tuesday X post.
“Bottom line: if the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way. Right now, government intervention in the beef market will hurt our cattle ranchers. The U.S. has safe, reliable beef, and it is the one bright spot in our struggling ag economy. Nebraska’s ranchers cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them when they’re just getting ahead or simply breaking even. I strongly encourage the Trump administration to focus on trade deals that benefit our ag producers—not important that will do more harm than good,” she added.
Meanwhile, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall stated that Trump’s plan “only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices.”
“It is imperative that President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins let the cattle markets work,” he continued.
Woodall also responded to President Trump’s Wednesday statement, announcing that his organization “cannot stand behind the President while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef in an attempt to influence prices.”
Despite the backlash, Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins stated in a CNBC interview on Tuesday that the Trump administration remains committed to ensuring the success of American ranchers while also attempting to reduce costs for consumers.
Rollins noted that she will soon announce a major effort to revive U.S. beef production by opening up more land and processing plants in an attempt to increase the amount of domestic cattle.
“The bigger supply — even aligned with a bigger demand — is going to allow those prices to come down, but also to have a vital industry for these ranchers to be able to survive, which is what we’ve got to do,” Rollins stated.
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