So the White House is rolling out a shiny new $12 billion bailout package for farmers who’ve been financially punched in the barn by Trump’s own trade wars and rising costs. But don’t worry—Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (yes, that guy), and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will all be on hand to take credit for “saving” the same farmers who wouldn’t need saving without, well… the tariffs.
Most of the money will go to big row crops like corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton—basically the states Trump needs to win again. After some last-minute begging, a little slice will also go to fruits and vegetables, because apparently those don’t count as “real” crops until someone panics on Capitol Hill.
Farmers are expected to see checks starting February—conveniently close to planting season and, even more conveniently, campaign season. And if you’re wondering where the money is coming from, it’s not actually tariff revenue like Trump promised—no, it’s good old emergency USDA cash. Because who needs consistency?
Naturally, the White House says this is really just helping farmers “bridge the gap between Biden’s failures and Trump’s future victories.” Which is a very poetic way of saying, “please don’t blame us for the thing we did…and please vote for us again.” Meanwhile, China is supposedly buying soybeans again—just at a speed best described as “grandma with a walker.”
At what point do we stop calling these bailouts and just start calling them “tariff refunds with extra paperwork”?
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/08/white-house-to-announce-farmer-bailout-package-00680633