PHOENIX – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix this morning. Perdue is the latest member of Trump’s administration to make a visit to Arizona as the President experiences sinking poll numbers and the state endures a cratering economy and an ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases. With Perdue in town, it’s worth noting his and Trump’s appalling record with farmers.
BACKGROUND ON A RECORD OF BROKEN PROMISES:
Promise: Trump promised “to negotiate trade deals to protect our farmers, help them export their goods, and make deals to protect our farmers, help them export their goods and make money doing it… [g]row family farming in America, we’re going to grow the farms.” [Trump, 2016]
Reality: Trump broke his promises to farmers, and Arizonans are suffering the consequences. Last year, the Arizona Daily Star reported that “Arizona cotton and pecan farmers are among the most hard-hit by the trade war” that Trump has foolishly initiated with China.
Promise: Earlier this year, Trump tweeted a promise to bail out U.S. farmers.
Reality: According to KJZZ, Arizona has received “less than 1% of total payments made to states” out of billions of dollars in federal aid to farmers negatively impacted by Trump’s trade war with China.
Promise: Time and again, Trump vowed to protect critical safety net programs for working families.
Reality: The Trump administration attempted to limit eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which could threaten to knock 72,000 Arizonans off food stamp benefits.
“Farmers and producers are a vital part of the Arizona economy and they have been trampled on by this administration,” said Matt Grodsky, Arizona Democratic Party spokesman, “Perdue’s visit to Phoenix today won’t undo the damage done by Trump’s record of broken promises — from getting rolled by China in a trade war that threatened farmers’ livelihoods to cutting off SNAP benefits for thousands of Arizonans. Trump and Perdue have made it crystal clear: they aren’t looking out for Arizona’s best interests. Come November, Arizonans will hold them accountable,”
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