Trump makes pitch to farmers hard-hit by tariffs, high prices in Wisconsin

Trump seeks to shore up support among rural voters hard hit by tariffs, economic fallout of war with Iran.United States President Donald Trump has sought to reassure farmers hard-hit by tariffs and the economic fallout of the US-Israeli war with Iran during a visit to Wisconsin.The stop in Chippewa Falls on Friday for a farming roundtable comes months before the midterm elections in November. Trump was seeking to bolster support for Republican US Representative Derrick Van Orden, who has been targeted by Democrats hoping to take control of the chamber.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US faces rising costs with Iran war driving energy prices, inflation higherlist 2 of 3US court pauses decision blocking Trump’s 10 percent global tarifflist 3 of 3Kevin Warsh sworn in as new US Fed chairend of listVan Orden has closely aligned with Trump and has long espoused the president as the best leader for rural Americans. Democrat challenger Rebecca Cook has proven a strong fundraiser and has led Van Orden in recent polls.Democrats are considered favourites to take control of the US House of Representatives, currently controlled by Republicans, in the midterms.“I love the place,” Trump said, referring to Wisconsin, “and hopefully you’re going to be voting Republican, because frankly, Republican is – I call it the sane way to go.”Success for Democrats would allow the party to seriously restrict Trump’s agenda in the final two years of his term.The Wisconsin visit was also more broadly aimed at shoring up support among farmers, who had largely backed the president in his 2024 election bid.Farmers have been particularly hard-hit by Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, with many countries limiting imports of US products, notably soybeans, in response. The tariffs have also made importing items needed for daily operations more expensive.The administration has sought to offset the fallout with temporary aid packages for farmers.At the same time, fertiliser costs have surged since the US and Israel launched the war with Iran on February 28, with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz increasing prices of several key components, including urea.