Dear Friends,
Did you tune in to the State of the Union address? Can’t blame you if you didn’t. It was difficult to watch. So many lies. So much name-calling. So much narcissism.
None of that was surprising. What did surprise me — and it’s something I’ve not heard anyone else talk about — is that Trump never, not once, mentioned farmers or agriculture.
More on that in a moment.
I hope you’ll check out THIS WEEK’S RADIO SHOW AND PODCAST. Rekha Basu joins me as we dig into:
(01:30) The GOP has become the party of big government – LISTEN
(19:22) There’s a MAGA rebellion underway – LISTEN
(35:02) What to expect in the 2026 general election – LISTEN
(53:54) For our Farm & Food segment, Kathy and I discuss “cottage foods” legislation moving through the Iowa legislature, with similar bills under consideration in other states – LISTEN
IS TRUMP WRITING OFF FARMERS?
Back in 2018, Trump said this about farmers: “I love them, and they voted for me, and they love me. … And they said, ‘We don’t care if we get hurt, he’s doing the right thing.‘”
I wonder how many farmers actually told Trump “we don’t care if we get hurt.” There’s already enough hurt in farm country.
Climate change. Floods and droughts are measurably worse than they used to be. Besides outright crop loss, climate change impacts crop and livestock viability, meaning some farmers are having to invest in new equipment, find new markets, and figure out how to deal with new pests and diseases.
Costs vs profits. Input costs are consistently higher than market prices. According to a story last month in Farm Policy News, in 2025 “production costs were more than 50% higher than in 2011, while prices farmers received were only about 21% higher.”
Bankruptcy. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, “Chapter 12 bankruptcies increased for the second year in a row, reaching 315 filings in 2025. This is a 46% increase from 2024.”
Suicide. According to the National Rural Health Association, the suicide rate among farmers is 3.5 times higher than that of the general population.
The challenges facing farmers are already overwhelming. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his $40 billion bailout of Argentina (our second biggest competitor in the soybean market), and his 80,000 metric ton purchase of beef from Argentina, and “farmers who love Trump” is a shrinking universe.
Furthermore, with USDA cuts to the Local Food for Schools and the Local Food Procurement Assistance programs, farmers just in Iowa lost $11 million in funding in 2025. Check out a story that aired last week on KCRG TV 9.
Given all this bad news for farmers and rural communities, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that President Trump ignored the people he claims love him in the longest State of the Union speech ever.
During my 220-mile Save America March last fall, I didn’t conduct a poll, but I did talk with a whole lot of farmers and rural voters. I met only two who were enthusiastic about the President’s rural policies: a Cuban truck driver from Florida and a wealthy man I met on a swanky golf course.
My best take is that support for Trump in rural America is in free-fall. This month’s US Supreme Court ruling against his tariffs has further eroded rural voter confidence in the President. Of course, after the ruling, Trump dug that hole even deeper, doubling-down and imposing a new 10% tariff on all countries.
Given all this, here’s what I’m thinking: As the 2026 midterm election approaches, Trump knows he can’t retain a majority in the US House and Senate without rural voters. But he no longer cares about farmers (if he ever did). He doesn’t need their help to “win” the 2026 midterm elections. Why?
BECAUSE HE’S PREPARING TO STEAL IT!
For those of us working to defend democracy and stop Big Government and its Big Tech sponsors from establishing a full-blown authoritarian state, this will be the biggest challenge most of us have ever faced.
It’s a cause that should unite rural and urban interests and freedom-loving patriots across the political spectrum.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
Ed Fallon
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In addition to our PODCAST, listen to the Fallon Forum on these affiliates:
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