Why We Can’t Afford a Second Trump Presidency: The Case for National Security and Agriculture
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By Ambassador Allan Mustard (Ret.)
As November’s election draws near, the stakes for U.S. national security and one of its cornerstones, the prosperity of the agricultural sector, are higher than ever. Donald Trump showed his true colors during his term of office. A second term for Trump would pose severe risks to our position as an agricultural exporter. Trump’s counterproductive policies, particularly regarding China, highlight why his return to the presidency would be disastrous for our country as a whole.
Trump bungled the intricate relationship between U.S. agriculture and international trade. His approach to China undermined exports of U.S. agricultural products to our single largest foreign market. Trump started a trade war with China by imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum. Predictably, China retaliated by imposing high tariffs on U.S. commodities, particularly soybeans, thus shifting from purchases of our soybeans to Brazil’s. The soybean industry, crucial to many farmers in America’s heartland, suffered as it lost its biggest buyer. This resulted in a dramatic drop in soybean prices and significant financial strain on U.S. farmers. In 2019, it also made America, traditionally the world’s largest agricultural exporter, a net importer of agricultural products for the first time in U.S. history. Under Trump, partly to compensate for the loss of export markets due to retaliation, government payments rose in 2020 to 38.6% of net farm income–$45.58 billion.
Trump ignored China’s organized theft of agricultural intellectual property, including advances in genetics and biotechnology. His administration’s inadequate response to protecting U.S. agricultural intellectual property allowed China to be a free rider on research paid for by U.S. taxpayers, thus making China more economically competitive at our expense.
Trump’s policies exacerbated the environmental challenges faced by American farmers. His administration’s disregard for climate change and environmental management failed to address the impact of ever-more unpredictable weather, hotter vegetative seasons, and more severe insect and disease infestations. Trump’s rollback of environmental regulations contributed to increased pollution. Looking to a second Trump term, his staff’s Project 2025 calls for a rollback of soil conservation programs, leaving our children with degraded, less productive soil.
Trump’s focus on exciting his extreme base rather than seriously addressing the real needs of American farmers and rural communities undermined efforts to develop effective, long-term solutions for the challenges they faced. He ordered USDA’s Economic Research Service, since 1961 the primary source of unbiased analysis crucial to helping American farmers make informed business decisions, relocated from Washington to Kansas City; as a result, two-thirds of the staff resigned. He did this in reprisal for an objective Economic Research Service report on the negative impact of his trade policies on our farmers. In a second Trump term, he would do even more damage: Project 2025 calls for the abolition of export promotion programs. When he ignores good advice and indeed punishes those who dare to give it, Trump is no friend of the farmer.
The Biden-Harris administration has demonstrated a more competent, coherent, and durable approach to managing these issues. Vice President Harris’s commitment to effective agricultural policies, climate change mitigation, and support for rural communities reflects a leadership style grounded in stability and strategic foresight. The Biden-Harris administration’s focus on restoring agricultural market stability, addressing environmental concerns, and strengthening international partnerships offers a promising path forward for U.S. agriculture and national security.
As we approach the election, choosing a leader who will effectively address the national security and agricultural challenges we face is crucial. Trump’s done more than enough damage to American agriculture and doesn’t deserve a chance to damage it more with the destructive goals of Project 2025.
Ambassador Allan Phillip Mustard, the most senior Foreign Service Officer in the Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), class of Career Minister, and formerU.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan.
