GET THE FACTS ON TRUMP’S REAL IOWA RECORD

GET THE FACTS ON TRUMP’S REAL IOWA RECORD

Donald Trump claimed that he

• “protected & expanded Ethanol”

• “got 28 Billion Dollars from China for our great Farmers,”

• “made the best TRADE deals in history (USMCA, China, & many more),”

• “introduced the World to our FARMERS”

 

As the 2024 Republican candidates come through our state and campaign, the Iowa Democrats are committed to holding them accountable and ensuring they’re being honest with Iowans. In that spirit, we’re going to be fact-checking the claims made above.

 

Trump’s biofuel policies hurt Iowa

• Iowa farmers suffered as a result of his biofuel waivers which prioritized the oil industry’s bottom line over protecting the environment and Iowans.

• President Trump broke his promise to Iowa’s leaders and allowed oil refineries to use a “significantly less” amount of ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

  • His administration also “repeatedly and generously handed out “small refinery” exemptions to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.”

• Iowa exports fell by hundreds of millions of dollars in 2018

  • Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and a former Republican candidate for Congress described Trump’s biofuel policy as a “knife between their shoulder blades”.

 

Americans paid the aid that Iowa’s farmers needed.

• Trump needed to give farmers $28 billion dollars in aid to recoup some of the money farmers lost as a result of Trump’s trade war with China.

  • As a result of Trump’s first strike tariffs, China responded by placing retaliatory tariffs on American farm goods.

• Contrary to what he claims, that money was paid by Americans, not China. While importers were forced to pick up the check, a lot of that expense was then passed onto consumers

 

President Trump’s trade deals were a disaster for Iowa’s farmers. 

• Iowa farmers lost about $2 billion annually as a result of Trump’s trade wars with Mexico, China and other countries.

• While discussing part of the aid that Trump had to give farmers, Senator Ernst said “they would much rather grow their goods and get them off to market,” urging him to actually make trade deals instead of fighting trade wars.

  • Other prominent Iowa Republicans including Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, and the Iowa Farm Bureau president made similar comments.

 

Iowa Farms suffered under Trump’s presidency 

• Under Trump, farm bankruptcies soared by 20% in 2019, hitting the highest rate in years.

  • “The American Farm Bureau attributed the figures, based on court bankruptcy data, to record farm debt and “headwinds on the trade front” triggered by Trump’s trade war.”

  • Under President Biden, in 2022, Midwest farm bankruptcies were down more than 80%.

• Trump proposed cuts to agriculture programs every single year he was president.

 

When you look at the facts surrounding Trump’s effect on Iowa’s farms it’s clear that they can’t afford another Trump presidency. Unfortunately, Ron DeSantis would also be a nightmare for Iowa’s agriculture. 

In Congress, Ron DeSantis was a staunch opponent of ethanol subsidies

• He has called repealing the Renewable Fuel Standard a “no-brainer” and called it “positive to see somebody win Iowa who opposes ethanol subsidies.”

  • He also cosponsored The Renewable Fuel Standard Elimination Act During Each Term He Served In Congress.

 

Ron DeSantis has also opposed efforts to ensure farmers get the help they need

• Desantis said he voted against the 2014 farm bill because it created new farm subsidy programs that were tied to current commodity prices, meaning the government would spend more if commodity prices dropped.

  • It’s important to note that  2014 farm bill extended crucial support to iowa farmers by increasing federal crop insurance and expanding an assistance program for biorefineries

• In Florida, DeSantis has vetoed subsidies that specifically target agriculture.

  • “I’m sure there’s folks in the agricultural industry that are probably like me scratching their heads wondering ‘what was he thinking?’ Because he didn’t veto any of the other conservation funding,” Saunders said. “He signed that into law. So … was agriculture a target? I’m sure some people could wonder that. And if I was a farmer in Iowa, I might wonder that.”