Trump's farmer bailout raises concern about trade war 'winners and losers'

But outside of promising a relief package for farmers, and agreeing to exempt big companies promising investments in the US from tariffs, the Trump administration has shown little concern about the risks of its approach to trade.

Asked by NBC News in May about the possibility of relief for small businesses Trump said: “They’re not going to need it.”

And in recent weeks, he has continued to expand the measures, despite polls indicating relatively limited public support.

During Trump’s first term, China and other trade partners explicitly targeted exports from farmers in an effort to raise political pressure on the president.

But subsequent academic analyses found mixed evidence for the strategy.

While some researchers linked, external China’s moves to losses by Republicans in the 2018 midterms, others found, external that bailout payments appeared to help shore up support in farming areas.