American Bridge 21st Century released the latest installment of its Reports From The American Front Line video series today, documenting how Donald Trump’s plan to import more than 660 million pounds of foreign beef is squeezing the ranchers who raise America’s cattle.
The American Farm Bureau Federation says the move amounts to nearly a 60 percent jump in beef imports in just three months, hitting an industry already working to rebuild a national cattle herd that has shrunk to its smallest size since the early 1950s. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association has warned the plan threatens producers’ ability to stay in business, and farm groups across the country have echoed those concerns.
“Donald Trump cut a deal that floods the market with foreign beef and leaves ranchers holding the bag,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “Ranchers are already paying more for fuel because of Trump’s war with Iran, and now his beef plan is about to undercut the prices they can charge for the cattle they’ve spent years rebuilding. He knows how devastating this can be for rural America, and he is choosing to do it anyway.”
RFTAFL is part of American Bridge’s broader Republican Impacts Project, which uses extensive research to highlight the local effects of Republican policies and hold policymakers accountable for decisions that harm American families.
Published: Aug 28, 2026