Trump Fan Gutted By Tariffs Says He Sees Bankruptcies and Suicides If Trade War Continues

Farmer Caleb Ragland is a supporter of President Donald Trump, but he warned on NewsNation on Friday that thousands of farms will go under if the president’s trade war continues.

Ragland is a soybean farmer in Kentucky and he has been hit hard financially this year, mainly due to China being the biggest buyer of soybeans. Tariffs have halted the market.

He explained:

It’s tough when you lose 25% of your market suddenly. And that’s the reality of the trade board and the retaliatory tariffs that have came from China against our soybeans. Soybeans are America’s largest agriculture export. We do a great job producing them and the world uses a lot of soy. China is the largest user. They use 61% of all soy consumed around the world. And here in this marketing year, the soybeans are being harvested. We have not sold a single bean to China, and normally they would be purchasing robustly right now, right in the middle of our harvest season.

Ragland praised some Trump policies, but argued there needs to be a balance on trade.

“President Trump’s done some good things with some tax policy, with regulatory policy on some issues. He’s also doing some things for biofuels to make them be. Used more here in this country and that’s a good thing for us long term. But we also need trade as well. It’s a balance and we need to get this figured out,” he said.

Ragland blasted Trump’s $20 billion bailout to Argentina and his suggestion the United States should buy beef from the country. He predicted suicides and more across the country if tariffs continue.

He said:

I think we’re at a crossroads that if we don’t get some things moving soon and get some serious trade taking place, we’re going to need a financial bridge or the reality will be the increases in bankruptcies, the loss of many thousands of family farms. It will even be worse with people committing suicide, choosing to end it all. And it’s terrible, the things that will result. We are on the verge of a farm crisis due to the rising cost of our production and the declining cost for our products, including our soybeans. And we got to find a new balance.

Watch above via NewsNation.

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