Joni Ernst Stabs Iowa Farmers In The Back On Trump’s Trade War

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) stabbed her Iowa farming constituents in the back as she cheered Trump’s trade war as farmers in her state face devastation.

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Transcript via CBS’ Face The Nation:

BRENNAN: I want to ask you about something close to home for you, and that is what China is now calling the largest trade war in economic history.

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What are you hearing from so many of those voters in Iowa who are supportive of the president, but worried about what this will mean for them?

ERNST: And you hit the nail on the head, Margaret. Our voters are supportive of President Trump. Our farmers just really think that he is doing the right thing.

But, unfortunately, we are caught in the crosshairs. America’s farmers and ranchers are always the first to be retaliated against in these types of trade negotiations. And the tariffs that have been imposed and the retaliation stemming from that puts us in a very vulnerable position as our markets go down.

So I would just encourage the president — of course, we want great deals. And I know we will be able to negotiate those, but we would like to see a number of these trade agreements wrapped up in short order, the sooner, the better.

BRENNAN: Well, do you hear of any progress? It sounds like the president is only talking about escalation. And are you asking the president to send any kind of financial aid to some of these farmers?

ERNST: Well, no.

And, as a matter of fact, we push back on financial aid. Here in the Midwest, we believe in trade, not aid. We don’t want another welfare-type program going to our farmers. They want to produce and they want to sell their goods to markets. So that’s what we strive for.

Joni Ernst was spinning a pure fantasy

Sen. Ernst is supposed to be representing the interests of her state, and what would be best for the soybean farmers of Iowa would be if Trump ended his trade war with China. The reality is that Joni Ernest was not being honest. Other markets can’t make up for the loss of China, which buys 60% of Iowa’s soybean crop. If these tariffs stay in place, it will mean devastation by election day for Iowa’s soybean farmers.

The whole point of the tariffs is not to negotiate, but to bend your opponent to your will. Trump is sitting back and waiting for China to come to him on bended knee, but that is not going to happen. The tariffs are not a short-term policy. There aren’t going to be great deals, just pain, suffering, and the potential loss of farms.

Joni Ernest stabbed Iowa’s farmers in the back by catering to Trump’s delusions of strength while inflicting pain on the people of her home state.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association