Trump rebukes “young lady” reporter questioning Argentina bailout as farmers rip his beef deal

President Donald Trump is facing renewed backlash for his support of Argentina following a tone deaf comment he made about a potential beef trade deal with the country.

Trump's Argentina beef deal

Trump has been publicly mulling over the possibility of beginning to import beef from Argentina as a way to bring down prices at U.S. grocery stores.

"If we buy some beef now—I’m not talking about that much—from Argentina, it would help Argentina, which we consider a very good country, a very good ally," he said over the weekend.

No deal has officially been made as of yet, but even the idea of it is causing an uproar among farmers who already feel betrayed and misled by the allegedly "America First" president. 

A reporter recently questioned Trump about this backlash, asking, "What do you have to say to U.S. farmers who feel that the deal is benefiting Argentina more than it does them—"

"Look, Argentina's fighting for its life, young lady," he said, cutting her off. "You don't know anything about it. They're fighting for their life."

He went on to claim that "nothing's benefiting Argentina" and that he wants to "help them survive in a free world," before letting his true motivation slip.

"I happen to like the president of Argentina," he said. "I think he's trying to do the best he can. But don't make it sound like they're doing great. They're dying, alright? They're dying."

The reporter’s identity could not immediately be confirmed.

Why are farmers angry about Argentina?

Trade wars have led to China, previously the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, halting its purchases. Instead, they're now getting soybeans from Brazil and Argentina.

Adding insult to injury, the Trump administration has authorized a $20 billion currency swap for Argentina while U.S. farmers continue to struggle. And Trump himself has repeatedly made it clear that this help is motivated by his ideological allyship with Argentina's president, Javier Milei.

"Just helping a great philosophy take over a great country," he recently said, while warning U.S. financial support for the country would drop if Argentinian politics shift left.

Putting this relationship and Argentina's economy above struggling Americans has angered some farmers, with many worrying that creating a beef deal with Argentina will only exacerbate an already bad situation for rural Americans.

"President Trump’s plan to buy beef from Argentina is a betrayal of the American rancher," Farm Action’s Senior Director of Programs, Christian Lovell, said in a press release.

"The U.S. beef industry is dominated by four major meatpackers that control roughly 85% of the market. This consolidation allows them to suppress prices paid to ranchers while keeping consumer prices high. Importing more beef into this rigged system will not lower costs for families or restore fair markets for producers."

Americans react 

As frustrated as farmers may be, there's been a fair amount of frustration aimed at them from other Americans, as well, considering many of them voted for him despite being warned that it would hurt the economy and their own bottom line.

Still, that doesn't mean people are keen on Trump throwing money at Argentina while gutting American programs—or that anyone was impressed by his condescending response to the reporter who actually asked him about it.

Make Argentina Great Again! By the way, when is our government opening back up?

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