Trump’s gaslighting Agriculture Secretary downplayed the pain farmers are experiencing now due to Trump’s Iran war while taking credit for a taking credit for a new ammonia plant which will be funded by — you guessed it — a program created under Biden.
During an appearance on this Sunday’s Fox & Friends Weekend, Brooke Rollins was asked by host Griff Jenkins about concerns our farmers have about fertilizer and fuel prices, while laying the groundwork for Rollins to blame Biden for the rise of fertilizer prices during the last administration — which were largely due to the pandemic and Russian’s invasion of Ukraine — which were global issues and not policy driven that could be blamed on Biden.
These liars never let a few pesky facts get in the way of them playing the but… but… but Biden game.
JENKINS: Let me ask you about something else in the news. We’ve heard so much about farmers facing rising costs, particularly fertilizer — which we know is due in part to the Iran conflict and the blockade. But it’s not just fertilizer. It’s also beef, and of course Americans are feeling it at the gas and diesel pump. It appears that the offshoring of fertilizer production actually began during the last administration. You have a plan — you spoke at the Reagan Defense Forum about trying to tackle this and ease the pain for farmers. Explain.
ROLLINS: That’s right. When we left in 2021 — I was in the first Trump administration — we left with an agricultural trade surplus. Things were finally turning around after decades of bad policy for our farmers.
This is a national security issue. This isn’t just about supporting our incredible rural Americans, our farming way of life, the real fabric of America. This is about the fact that if we can’t feed ourselves, we will cease to know freedom as our founders envisioned and as the American dream has proven out over 250 years.
The cost of inputs under the Biden years increased 40%, including fertilizer. We were bringing that down. Fertilizer had actually begun to come back down, but the Strait of Hormuz situation — a quick blip tied to the ongoing conflict — caused a bump. Even so, fertilizer has still not increased to what it did under the Biden administration.
Having said that, if we’re not able to bring the cost of inputs down and keep striking new trade deals around the world for our farmers, we will lose our country.
A couple of weeks ago, we released our Great Fertilizer Plan. Within 45 days — and this is really important — what would normally take a couple of years to permit, we’re going to break ground on what will be the largest ammonia plant in the world. The largest phosphate plant is coming after that. We have 90 projects around the country to reshore American fertilizer production, so we’re not reliant on China, Russia, or other foreign countries.
Those fertilizer prices were already coming down before Trump took office again. And here’s more on the project she was bragging about:
While Rollins, as she is prone to do, criticized the Biden administration for not doing enough to bring down fertilizer costs, she still said USDA will use a $900 million Rural Development fund for fertilizer that was created under Biden. Those funds have $700 million committed to projects, but Rollins said more work is needed to accelerate the timelines on those projects.
No mention of that during this interview, of course.
Rollins wrapped things up by assuring everyone how much the farmers still love Trump and are willing to put up with the economic pain being caused by the Iran war while heaping praise on him that sounded, once again, like something from North Korean television.
CAMPOS-DUFFY: I absolutely support that 100%. We should not be relying on those countries. But you do talk to a lot of farmers, Brooke. Are they asking you to speak with the president — to get this deal done, to not allow anyone to sabotage this peace plan, to get it done now?
ROLLINS: Yes they are, Rachel — but let me put that in context. Since the president came down those escalators in 2015 and literally changed the course of history for our country and the world, there has been no group of people more on board with President Trump and making America great again. Even in the darker days of early 2021, rural America — our farmers and ranchers — said: “We will take the hits. We believe in this president. We believe in the hard decisions. We know this isn’t going to happen overnight. We are with him.”
Just yesterday — or rather Friday — I was in California with farmers. The day before that, Arizona with farmers and ranchers. The day before that, Pennsylvania. Monday I’ll be in North Carolina. The message is always the same, Rachel, to your point: “We love this president. We know he’s fighting for us. Make sure he knows we are with him and we believe in his vision.”
It would be great to get this done sooner rather than later — the cost of inputs has increased a little with the conflict, whether it’s fuel or fertilizer — but farmers know the vision, they see it, and they’re with us all the way.
Their main job is to keep Dear Leader’s fragile ego intact.