Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins refused to speak on what countries President Trump plans to import tariff-free beef from amid growing backlash over his emergency effort to lower beef prices as midterm elections approach.
"About the beef imports, what specific countries have been in talks with the U.S. about stepping up those beef imports, aside from Mexico?" a reporter asked Rollins on Tuesday.
"I am not privy to talk about that. I think the conversations are still going on, and that's Ambassador [Jamieson] Greer who's finalizing what exactly that looks like, and I think the president's involved in that as well," she said.
It's certainly alarming that Rollins is unable to be transparent and honest with Americans about where the cheap beef is coming from.
"The US Secretary of Agriculture is not privy to talk about 300,000 metric tons of food that, according to the President, is right now making its way to the dinner tables of countless ordinary Americans?" The New Republic's Greg Sargent wrote on X. "Isn't she curious about this? Didn't she ask Trump for clarification of it?"
This beef import is something Trump cooked up to offset the cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by his war on Iran, as well as a historic cattle shortage—although the Trump administration blames former President Biden for that.
"As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff. We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices," Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. "This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again."
Many within his own party disagree, voicing concerns about American beef farmers being priced out of the market by these mystery foreign importers.
"Americans want US beef on the table – not foreign imports. Wyoming ranchers produce the highest quality beef in the world. Our ranchers don't ask for special treatment. They simply want a fair marketplace," Republican Senator John Barrasso wrote. "It needs to be easier – not harder – for Wyoming ranchers to feed America. I will continue to fight for policies that strengthen Wyoming beef producers and invest in the American cattle herd."
"I want to lower prices but this is a bad idea. Iowa cattle producers raise the highest quality beef in the world. They've faced tough market conditions for years, and increasing beef imports would lead to more uncertainty and instability for our farmers," Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson added. "We should be focused on cutting red tape for cattle producers, lowering the cost of production, and supporting market-based solutions to support Iowa producers and lower costs for consumers."
Actual farmers seem to feel similarly as well.
"I believe that this is a raw deal by the president. You know, here's the president who keeps making the announcement that he loves farmers, he loves cattlemen, and then undermines us with that 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef that we don't even know where it's coming from," farmer, activist, and National Black Farmers Association founder John W. Boyd Jr. said Tuesday on MS Now.
"[This is] the worst time in history for America''s farmers, going out losing our farms every day, and the president makes another sour deal, and punches the American farmers in the face."