Trump campaigns in Wisconsin

On Friday, President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins traveled to  Wisconsin, “which is home to large beef, dairy and crop farms, to shore up support for Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican loyalist running for re-election in a purple district he narrowly won in 2024,” The New York Times reported. 

“‘I don’t need this, I got elected, what the hell do I have to be here for?’ Mr. Trump said to a crowd of people who had braved a rainy day to hear him speak,” the Times reported.

“‘I’m doing this because I like the farmer,’ he said, adding: “I could be home right now in the beautiful White House, enjoying watching somebody else on television talking.”

Trump also suggested his administration is looking at another possible aid package for farmers, DTN/Progressive Farmer reported. 

“We’re looking at something right now to take the place of what happened,” Trump said. 

Despite his low approval rating, Trump was “unflappable,” The Wausau Pilot and Review said. 

In Wisconsin, Trump also taped an interview for NBC’s “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristin Welker, who asked him about farmers struggling. 

Trump said, “Are you ready? Are you ready? Am I allowed to talk? You keep asking questions, and you don’t listen to the answers. I love the farmers, and the farmers love me. The farmers trust me.”

“In the first term, I had something very similar. China and others were — and Canada, which was brutal, they were taking advantage of our farmers. They don’t take advantage of them anymore. I gave them $28 billion, split up. They never had a pay day like that.

“And the farmers love me. And they came back, and they voted for me in record numbers. You know that. Nobody’s ever even come close. Now, because of the fact that we had a choice — I had a choice to make. I could keep it going. The farmers were doing great. Fertilizer was very cheap. Everything was cheap. Gasoline was very low. Everything was very low.

“I could’ve kept it that way. But I said, I have to take a little bit of a turn. The farmers are going to understand it better than anybody. We’re going to have higher gasoline. We’re going to have a little higher fertilizer, et cetera, et cetera. But I’m going to get rid of a nuclear weapon in the hands of very dangerous people. Excuse me.

“Wait. It should’ve been done for 47 years. No president had the guts to do it. I did it, and I’ve done it. It’s almost complete. As soon as that’s complete, gasoline prices are going to drop like a rock. You know, I was in Iowa speaking about farms. And it was before we attacked Iran. And I was in Iowa, and the prices were $1.85 a gallon. $1.91 a gallon.”

Trump later became upset with Welker’s questioning about his views on the California elections and walked off the set, the Los Angeles Times reported.