>As President Donald Trump embarked on his plan to hike tariffs and escalate tensions with America's biggest trading partners, he offered an infamous bit of reassurance.

>"Trade wars are good," Trump tweeted on March 2, 2018, "and easy to win."

>More than eight and a half years later, both claims have proven to be untrue. And while much of the focus of Trump's trade wars has been on American manufacturing, it is actually American farmers who have been marched to the front lines. For them, Trump's trade wars have been difficult, losing affairs.

>Don't take my word for it. Read what the Trump administration's own Department of Agriculture said in a report on the status of the "farm economy downturn."

>From 1990 to 2018, the U.S. ran agricultural trade surpluses—meaning that it exported more farm goods than it imported from other countries. Since the start of Trump's trade war, however, that dynamic has flipped. That's bad news for farmers, who have seen their overseas markets shrink.

>And it all points back to the trade war with China.

>"The sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports…has been due to decreased sales to China," the report states. American farm exports to China peaked in 2022 at $38.1 billion before falling to $8.4 billion last year. That's a 78 percent drop in the span of just three years—the years that coincide with Trump's return to the White House and the escalation of his trade war. "This single-country drop accounts for the majority of the recent contraction in overall U.S. export performance, and it marks one of the steepest market losses ever recorded for a major U.S. agricultural buyer."

>That, again, is an analysis produced by the Trump administration itself.

>How did this happen? In March, the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) reviewed the sharp decline of American exports to China.

>"Each time Trump raised tariffs—by 145 percentage points in early 2025, as well as during his first trade war of 2018–19—China retaliated with matching tariff increases, accelerating the US export decline," PIIE senior fellow Chad Bown concluded. "Less obvious were the host of other Chinese policies that discouraged its imports. Some incentivized Chinese firms to produce too much. Others encouraged Chinese consumers to buy more locally. Most of those Chinese policies also hurt exporters in other countries."

>Meanwhile, farmers are getting squeezed on the other side by rising prices—another consequence of the trade war. A new analysis from the Trade Partnership shows that Americans have paid $355 billion in higher tariffs on goods from China since 2018, when Trump declared trade wars to be good and easy to win.

>The dissatisfaction that American farmers are feeling over the trade war might be the most underrated story in American politics right now.

>It helps explain, for example, why Republicans from farming states are suddenly going all in on trying to convince the White House to ban diesel exports in a desperate attempt to lower gas prices before the midterm elections.

>Nearly everyone agrees that's a bad idea that will worsen global supply shortages and drive prices higher. That includes a long list of free market nonprofits, experts in the oil and gas industries, and even Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

>The only people who think a ban on diesel exports makes sense are Republicans in farm states who are standing for election in a few weeks. They are desperate to offer voters something, anything, that might reverse the ugly trends showing up in polling. The "blue wave" forming ahead of November's election is "overwhelmingly concentrated in red states," Nate Silver noted on his Substack on Thursday.

>Unfortunately for those Republicans, Trump has made this bed and forced them to lie in it. There is no easy fix to the damage that the trade war has done to American agriculture. Banning diesel exports won't do it. A deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Washington this week for meetings with Trump, won't do it either.

>The only winning move was not to start a trade war eight years ago and not to escalate that trade war over the past two years.

>It wasn't easy to win. Indeed, America seems to be losing it. And it certainly hasn't been good.

Reason is the one lolbert magazine I have any respect for. Good reporting

This is fake news and the libertarians (such as rand and ron paul) are known traitors to the republican party

The truth is we are winning the trade war. Yes farmers are hurting but our motto since day 1 of the trade war was "short term pain for long term gain". These hard working American farmers are willingly taking the hit, making the ultimate sacrifice to make America great again. The tariffs, the trade war, the Iran war, the data centers. This is long term planning. Take the blows, fight like hell, and come back stronger. Patriotic Americans have chosen to make small sacrifices today to secure a better future for our children tomorrow. President Trump, the American people support you.

>>1539256
>since day 1 of the trade war was "short term pain for long term gain"
So uh, we're what, a year and a half in? When does the short term end anon? At what point after hemorrhaging money for the better part of almost two years now do you make it all back?

It's... it's not when someone comes along and undoes Trump's policies, is it?

>>1539256
No you fucking dumbass, your motto is short term pain for long-term pain.
>Patriotic americans
You're neither of those things.
>a better future for our children.
Trump literally told you that the future is going to be ten times worse for your children, that instead of twenty dolls they should be happy with two.

Donald Trump has ruined all his own businesses. The only successful thing he's done is play a businessman on a show he didn't make for a network he wasn't a part of. He couldn't get a loan to save his life due to his shitty credit, and now he's bankrupting America. It's what he does best. Name a single thing trump left better than he found it.

>>1539290
>He couldn't get a loan to save his life due to his shitty credit
And Trump never will after the only remaining part of the financial establishment Deutsche Bank stopped giving him loans. Trump's name is poison among banks that value their credibility.
>t. has two high interest accounts with HSBC
That's Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
>an orange thing sucking up to Xi Jinping
Think about the future, miggers. I did years before Trump thought about entering politics. I chose... wisely.
>Shanghai
>the first operational Maglev train service
>a games company there is now so rich, they can afford to fund research into fusion reactors
Who will give you a small loan of a million dollars after it's all over for you, Trump? Maybe HSBC...!

>>1539285
This, the only thing that's happened is trump and his epstein class cabal have enriched themselves at the expense of actual Americans.

>Short term gain for long term gain!
This is by far the stupidest cope phrase MAGA's got, and that's saying something. Absolutely any issue with Trump's policies can be handwaved away by saying that it'll be better at some undisclosed point in the future. And because it's undisclosed, you never actually have to get there. Suffer in hunger and poverty as you die in a ditch while the rich party in Trump's ballroom palace, but trust me bro, it'll get better in just 2 more weeks!
The plus side is that absolutely nobody buys it for a fucking second besides the most broken MAGA cultists, and only because they'll believe anything The Party says anyway.

>inbred rightards living in trailer parks
>now owning nothing because of financial fuckups due to tariffs: and they welcome it because 'MAGA!1one'
>forced to sell what they have to afford the basics
>they eat food containing the additive Carmine: what that comes from
You will live in pods, eat bugs, own nothing and like it.
Facts don't care about your feelings, miggers.
How those two phrases are now like leopards: biting you in your own faces.

>>1539310
>And Trump never will after the only remaining part of the financial establishment Deutsche Bank stopped giving him loans. Trump's name is poison among banks that value their credibility.
Note, there's a very good reason for this: fucker never pays anyone back.

>>1539317
And these farmers are learning that right now. Why the fuck would he help them? They already voted for him, he doesn't need them anymore.

Do you live in a sovereign nation? Here is a simple checklist:
1) Does you nation grown enough food to feed the populace?
2) Does your nation have enough water for the people and for industry?
3) Does your nation have enough power to thrive on its own?
4) Does your nation have secure borders?
5) Is your nation dependent on anyother nation for anything crucial to survival or security?

If any of these is "no", then your nation is not truly sovereign.

A simple checklist:
1) Do you want a sovereign - specifically an orange one - to rule your nation?
If any of these is "yes", you aren't American.
Because if you were, the only possible answer is no.

>>1539290
You are an idiot. President Trump is a billionaire exactly because he's a talented businessman. The facts don't care about your feelings or TDS.

1539336
You are an idiot. Trump is a failure exactly because he isn't a talented businessman. The facts don't care about your feelings or Democrat Derangement Syndrome after the midterms.

>>1539337
>Trump
>Failure

Proof?

The 6'3 billionaire New York businessman who came the democratically elected President of the United States? That guy? He's a "failure"? LMAO. Liggy, you work at a fucking Starbucks. Sit the fuck down

>>1539342
Nothing says success like feeling the need to list his height before anything else.

>>1539342
>6'3
No proof.

>>1539342
He is two inches shorter than Melania.

>Proof?
1539341 replying. And you cannot spell 'replying' without the word Lying.

ΕΙΔΗΣΗ

70ΧΡΟΝΗ ΕΠΕΣΕ ΑΠΟ ΠΟΛΗΚΑΤΙΚΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΦΙΓΕ ΤΟ ΔΕΞΗ ΤΗΣ ΒΙΖΗ 145 ΧΙΛΙΟΜΕΤΡΑ ΜΑΚΡΙΑ ΠΑΝΟ ΣΕ ΕΝΑ 16ΧΡΟΝΟ ΒΡΕΘΗΚΚΕΝ ΤΟ ΒΙΖΗ ΤΗΣ 70ΧΡΟΝΗΣ ΕΙΔΗΚΟΙ ΕΞΕΤΑΣΑΝ ΤΟ ΠΑΙΔΗ ΜΑΛΟΝ ΨΟΦΗΣΕ ΑΠΟ ΕΝΑ ΤΡΕΝΟ ΚΑΙ ΦΑΝΤΑΖΟΜΕ ΠΟΣ ΛΕΤΕ ΠΟΣ ΠΟΣ ΠΕΘΑΝΕ ΑΠΟ ΤΡΕΝΟ ΤΟ ΒΙΖΗ ΤΗΣ ΓΡΙΑΣ ΕΙΡΘΕ ΜΕ ΤΟΣΟ ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΔΗΝΑΜΗ ΣΤΟΝ 16ΡΟΝΟ ΠΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΕΣΤΗΛΕ ΑΛΛΑ 200 ΧΙΛΙΟΜΕΤΡΑ ΜΑΚΡΙΑ ΠΑΝΟ ΣΕ ΕΝΑ ΤΡΕΝΟ ...
ΣΟΡΡΗ ΠΟΥ ΓΡΑΦΟ ΤΗΣ ΕΙΔΗΣΟΙΣ ΜΟΥ ΚΑΤΟ ΑΠΟ ΤΑ ΣΧΟΛΙΑ ΑΠΟ ΠΟΣΤ ΑΛΛΑ ΔΕΝ ΕΧΟ ΧΟΡΟ ΝΑ ΣΒΙΣΟ ΓΙΑ ΦΟΤΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ ΕΡΕ ΦΙΛΟΙ ΜΟΥ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΠΑΝΤΟΝ ΑΝΤΙΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ.

>>1539342
Yeah he's a fuckin loser cuck. I would never want to be him. I like having self respect and knowing that i dont have to wear diapers and that i havent fucked kids.
You dumbshits all over the country fell for his game hook line and sinker. He was pulling shady shit in NY for decades before he was on The Apprentice. It was funny the first term and now he's just a sad old fuck whose balding and fat.