Trump Rolls Out $12 Billion Farm Rescue as Tariffs Hit Hard

President Donald Trump on Monday announced a $12 billion package of one-time payments to farmers affected by recent tariff hikes, according to reporting from NPR. The aid primarily targets growers of major row crops such as soybeans and corn.

The plan, introduced during a White House roundtable with farmers, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, is being described by the administration as the Farm Bridge Assistance program. Funding will come from the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, which was also used to distribute farm aid during Trump’s first term.

Trump linked the payments to revenue generated through his tariff policies and emphasized his longstanding political support among farmers. “What we’re doing is we’re taking a relatively small portion of that, and we’re going to be giving and providing it to the farmers in economic assistance. And we love our farmers,” he said. “And as you know, the farmers like me… you could call it voting trends or anything else, but they’re great people.”

Farmers have faced several challenging years, with falling prices for crops like corn and soybeans and rising costs for inputs, trends noted by the Farm Bureau. Tariffs have added pressure by driving up prices for machinery and fertilizer.

The White House said the program is intended to carry farmers through until Trump’s broader economic agenda takes effect. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated: “Today’s announcement reflects the President’s commitment to helping our farmers, who will have the support they need to bridge the gap between Biden’s failures and the President’s successful policies taking effect.”

Trump also used the event to criticize Democrats’ focus on affordability and promised to ease environmental regulations on large farm machinery. 

At the same time, tariffs have taken a toll on equipment manufacturers; John Deere projected earlier this year that tariffs would cost the company $600 million in 2025, NPR reported.

The administration framed the new payments as part of Trump’s effort to respond to concerns about high prices while shoring up support among key agricultural constituencies.