In MSNBC’s daytime lineup, host Katy Tur was shocked when she met Iowans who supported President Trump. Tur sought out Iowa farmers in hopes they would publicly complain about Trump and his trade war with China.
It’s conventional Democratic knowledge that Trump’s trade war with China, including the consequential tariffs, are harming farmers’ bottom lines, particularly in the swing state of Iowa. However, this conventional wisdom was shot down when Tur asked farmers for their thoughts on the tariffs.
“President Trump told Iowa farmers that he is the only one who can save them. I visited a farming show here in Des Moines and spoke to some of the president’s supporters. Didn’t know they were until I asked them. I wondered if they thought he had fulfilled his promises, specifically about tariffs,” said Tur in her opening monologue.
“[Tariffs] aren’t good for temporary, but long term, we get the trade agreements actually, and China actually does what they said, we’ll be better,” one farmer told Tur. He explained that tariffs, like farming, are an investment in the future.
MSNBC’s Katy Tur leaves the bubble and finds strong Trump support among Iowa farmers pic.twitter.com/YzrtHhU9CN
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 3, 2020
Tur was visibly confused by the Iowan farmers who support Trump. She could not understand why her theory did not match reality on the ground. Nonentheless, Tur continued to promulgate her theory that Iowa farmers will not support Trump in the 2020 election.
“There’s a feeling out there that Iowa farmers are not going to support [Trump] any longer. These tariffs are doing too much to hurt their business, and when I was talking to farmers at that expo, I didn’t hear that,” Tur said.
It was refreshing to see Beltway punditry flipped on its head, and to see Trump’s ardent supporters sticking with him through turbulent times.
During the trade war, China put retaliatory tariffs on almost all U.S. agricultural exports, notably soybeans and pork products. This undoubtedly hurts farmers in the interim. However, China is the biggest consumer of U.S. agricultural products. So to pass a trade agreement that forces China to purchase even more of these products, and at a fairer price, will help farmers long-term.
