President Donald Trump is set to announce a $12 billion aid package for American farmers on Monday. The package is set to include one-time payments to crop farmers through a new Department of Agriculture bridge payment program.

In a new statement, Cato Institute policy analyst Tad DeHaven says “The Trump administration’s $12 billion bailout for farmers squeezed by the president’s pointless trade war was inevitable. During Trump’s first term, taxpayers were required to finance $23 billion in bailouts for farmers harmed by higher input prices and reduced access to export markets due to his tariffs. Knowing that a vote for Trump in last year’s election was a vote against their commercial interests, farmers nonetheless overwhelmingly supported returning him to the White House. Across the country, millions of businesses and their employees have been hurt by Trump’s tariff fetish. Adding insult to injury, they’re also now being forced to help support politically pampered farmers. The White House’s claim that the Biden administration is to blame for farmers’ woes doesn’t pass the laugh test. Indeed, nothing is amusing about this administration’s incoherent mess of a trade policy.”

Related Work from Tad DeHaven and Scott Lincicome

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