Iowa is entering the FO (Find Out) phase of FAFO. After voting 56% for Donald Trump, Iowa is realizing that they are going to be feeling the hurt real soon...thanks to Donald Trump. The horrific policies coming out of the White House are attacking farmers, affecting labor and threatening entire industries.
The New York Times is reporting that while farmers are struggling to stay afloat, Trump is willingly handing over $20 billion (or maybe it's $40 billion now?) to Argentina...and that is really pissing off the farmers. I guess MAGA now means "Make Argentina Great Again"?
Iowa soybean farmers are getting hit HARD after China stopped buying their product. Tariffs are raising costs for necessary item such as tractors and fertilizer. And immigration raids have made cheap labor scarce.
As a reminder, Iowa actually went for Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, but then swung to Trump in 2016. And they have been rewarded with non-stop punishment. The New York Times reports that "during the first quarter of 2025, Iowa’s gross domestic product dropped by 6.1 percent, more than any other state aside from neighboring Nebraska." Manufacturing costs are going through the roof as well, with "higher production costs in part because of steep tariffs on inputs like aluminum and steel."
It will be interesting to see how next years midterm elections turn out in response to these devastating policies. There are at least two competitive districts in the House. They will also be voting for a new Governor AND a replacement for Joni "we are all going to die" Ernst. Lots of variables in iowa.
The article had lots of quotes from Trump supporting voters whining about the predicament he put them in while simultaneously excusing his actions. Honestly, I am too tired to put the quotes in, since you have all heard it before.
Something like "well, money is tight and we may have to close the farm and sell our house, but we believe Donald Trump was saved by God to usher in a time of prosperity and we will get our money bank 10 times over as long as he keeps out Antifa and the illegals that keep taking our jobs."
I hope Iowa votes for change next year.
