What did the rest of the world — outside of agriculture — have to say about President Donald Trump’s speech at last week’s American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Nashville, Tenn.? Here’s a roundup:
A year later, Trump still able to woo farmers: Politico’s agriculture reporter was at the convention and gives a rundown not only of Trump’s speech, but also of the larger NAFTA strategizing that made news during the convention. Excerpt: “Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker more comfortable in business suits than dungarees, may seem like an unlikely champion of farmers. But he has been able to touch on the issues they care about, such as commitment to rolling back federal regulations and the patriotism he invokes during campaign-style speeches like the one he delivered here Monday.”
Trump touts tax law, rural broadband initiative in farm bureau speech: CNN couched Trump’s speech in the context of a week that included revelations from Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” book, and noted that he was “surrounded by farmers and agriculture executives.”
Trump Overstates Size of Tax Cuts in Speech to Farmers: The New York Times focused on Trump’s claims throughout the speech, citing information from nonpartisan organizations. Like many other stories, this includes Trump’s line about voting for him — “You are so lucky I gave you that privilege” — which brought audible groans and nervous applause from the crowd.
Farmers voted for Trump. Now he’s trying to assure them they made the right call: This Washington Post piece hits the highlights, focusing on trade and immigration actions, and sets it all in the context of the election: “In the year since rural America voted him into office, the president has proposed deep cuts to crop insurance subsidies, reductions in the number of immigrants entering the United States and withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement — all of which have rattled farmers.”
Country Hour, Australian Broadcasting Co.: This podcast produced by Australian farm broadcaster Nikolai Bielharz includes a summary of the speech and events at AFBF, and an interview with Farm Progress editor Holly Spangler (author of this story), where he observes many similarities in the interests of American farmers and Australian farmers.
Trump’s Farm Fibs, Pollan’s Twinkies, and More: Your Winter Food Policy Round-Up: Modern Farmer typically takes an urbane approach to agriculture. It includes coverage of Trump’s speech in a weekly roundup story and takes a swipe at American Farm Bureau: “Trump’s administration has made progress on a few points that farmers — or at least the Farm Bureau, the biggest agricultural lobby, which can fairly be described as an organization representing agribusiness interests rather than actual farmers per se — have clamored for.”
Trump in TN: Farmers Personify the ‘Hard Work Needed to Make America Great Again’: Fox News avoided using the lucky-I-gave-you-that-privilege quote, covering the story with its own tweets.
Convention-goers react to president’s message: Local Nashville, Tenn., station WSMV got reaction immediately after the speech, including farmers from Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Trump Embraces the Ag-Right: Huffington Post writers dug into the AFBF policy book and include this observation: “On the surface it may seem like Trump is giving a speech to one of our nation’s most beloved icons — the American farmer. But, the Farm Bureau actually represents a small, tight-knit clan of wealthy, far-right ideologues who oppose gay marriage and gun-free zones, support racist voter suppression laws, and want to gut social welfare programs like Medicaid.”
Trump at Farm Bureau: You are so lucky I gave you the ‘privilege’ of voting for me: The Hill leads with Trump’s most controversial line, both in a short story and in the video clips it shared.
Donald Trump Has Sold Out Family Farmers: The Nation takes a polarized view of the speech, condemning virtually everything Trump said. It also quotes Rob Larew with the National Farmers Union: “The vast majority of these family farms are in no way impacted by the estate tax.” Savvy readers will also note it captioned a combine photo as a corn shredder.
Trump Delivers a Hollow, Self-Congratulatory Speech to Farmers in Nashville: Mother Jones is typically a left-leaning publication, but it has delivered solid scientific reporting on issues close to farmers, such as GMOs. Its lead: “Donald Trump is big with the farmers. How big? Just ask him. ‘Oh, are you happy you voted for me,’ the president cooed during his speech at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 99th annual convention in Nashville on Monday. ‘Oh, you are so lucky I gave you that privilege.’”
Donald Trump to Farmers Who Voted For Him: “You Are So Lucky I Gave You That Privilege”: A curious news source to farmers, Pop Sugar ran a short story that focuses on his election comments. But it also published the entire speech to watch in one place.
Trump addresses American Farm Bureau Federation Convention: CBS News focuses on the rural broadband promises made throughout both Trump’s speech and that of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like