From Hope To Disillusionment. Why Some Farmers Who Voted For Trump Now Regret Their Support?

As Donald Trump gears up for another run at the White House, many farmers who once rallied behind him are now seriously worried about the future of their industry.

When Donald Trump first took office, many farmers viewed him as their knight in shining armor. With promises to slash regulations, take a hard stance on trade, and “bring jobs back to America,” it seemed like the perfect recipe for a thriving agricultural sector. But as his presidency wore on, the reality of his policies began to settle in—and for many farmers, it’s been a bitter harvest.

Now, a growing number of those who voted for him in 2016 and 2020 are realizing that Trump’s approach may have been more damaging than beneficial to their livelihoods.

Now in 2024, the change of heart has become even more pronounced, why – its a combination of Trump’s tough stance on immigration and the undeniable dependence of American farming on migrant labor.

America’s agricultural sector relies heavily on migrant workers, particularly when it comes to seasonal tasks like hand-picking crops during harvest time. Of the 2.4 million people working in farming across the country, about 44% are undocumented migrants, according to the Department of Labor. These workers are the backbone of the industry, often taking on the hardest, lowest-paid jobs—ones that most American workers simply won’t do.

So, when Trump vowed to deport millions of migrants, many farmers saw it as a threat to the very heart of their operations. Large-scale deportation would create a massive disruption in the food supply chain, leaving farms unable to harvest essential crops like fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And without the workforce to get the job done, food prices could skyrocket.

Farmers argue that American workers are unlikely to fill these roles, as they’re tough, physically demanding, and not exactly high-paying. So, the thought of losing such a critical workforce has many scratching their heads and wondering how the industry will survive under these policies.

Trump’s promise of “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” would affect an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants, and many farmers who voted for him in the past are now realizing that these policies could put their livelihoods—and the nation’s food security—at serious risk.

Other Factors Playing The Pipe

1) Bankruptcies and Financial Stress

Let’s start with the financial fallout. Small, family-run farms—those that represent the backbone of rural America—have felt the squeeze more than anyone. Under Trump’s policies, many found themselves struggling to stay afloat.

The trade war with China disrupted vital markets, tariffs made things more expensive, and mounting debt pushed some farms over the edge. Large agribusinesses and corporate farms may have weathered the storm, but smaller operations weren’t so lucky. In fact, the number of bankruptcies among family-run farms surged during his tenure, leaving farmers wondering if they had been sold a false promise.

2) Economic Recovery and Inflation

Even after the pandemic’s worst days seemed to be behind them, farmers were hit with the double whammy of inflation and supply chain disruptions. The cost of essentials—seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and labor—kept climbing, and the economic recovery felt more like a struggle to keep up.

Farmers who initially thought Trump’s policies would stabilize the economy began to realize that the very forces he had set in motion were aggravating their financial difficulties. What was supposed to be a recovery turned into an uphill battle.

3) A Torn Farm Economy

It wasn’t just the financial challenges that got farmers questioning their support for Trump. Many realized that his policies weren’t designed with the long-term health of the agricultural industry in mind.

Sure, deregulation might have sounded good on paper, but it led to a lack of safeguards that could protect the environment, and some worried that it would hurt soil health and water resources in the long run.

For farmers who have been in the business for generations, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a way of life. The rollback of environmental protections raised concerns about the future of farming itself.

4) Trade Wars. The Long-Term Impact

And then there was the trade war with China. While Trump touted it as a necessary step to protect American workers, farmers were left holding the bag. China’s retaliatory tariffs hit U.S. agricultural exports hard, especially products like soybeans, pork, and corn—staples for many American farmers.

While the Trump administration did offer some subsidies to soften the blow, many farmers felt that these were just a band-aid on a much bigger wound. They were stuck in the middle of a geopolitical tug-of-war, and the long-term damage to global markets left many questioning whether the pain was worth it.

5) The Real Cost of Deregulation

On the flip side, deregulation was supposed to make things easier, but for some, it’s been a double-edged sword. While fewer regulations meant fewer bureaucratic hoops to jump through, it also meant less protection from the forces that threaten farming in the first place.

Soil erosion, water contamination, and air pollution—issues that impact the health of farms and farmers alike—weren’t always given the attention they deserved. For farmers committed to sustainability, this deregulation was seen as a short-term win with long-term consequences.

A Growing Realization

So, where does that leave the American farmers, for many it’s a bitter realization that Trump’s policies didn’t deliver the economic boom they had hoped for. They are instead struggling wth the consequences of a trade war that disrupted their markets, a deregulation push that compromised long-term sustainability, and rising costs that squeezed their margins.

And let’s not forget the human element. Farming isn’t just about crops and machinery; it’s about families, communities, and generations of hard work. Many farmers who supported Trump initially did so out of hope that his policies would protect their way of life. But soon they faced he mounting pressures of a strained economy, many are wondering if they’ve been let down.

Conclusion, the farm economy didn’t just struggle under Trump—it was torn between the immediate relief his policies offered and the long-term challenges they created.

As farmers look to the future, they’re asking the hard question – was the cost of these policies worth it? For many, the answer is becoming clearer with each passing season.

Hence, Trump’s promises of economic prosperity and deregulation didn’t live up to expectations, now looking in the present, with mass deportations planned the very existence of farms is being questioned and so is the looming threat of rising food prices.

It’s a classic case of the farmers-vote paradox – the very policies that were supposed to strengthen the country’s borders and economy could end up creating chaos in the one industry that literally feeds the nation.