On Fox Business, host Stuart Varney asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins about President Trump’s decision to send $20 billion to Argentina to bail out its economy, even as U.S. farmers are struggling as a result of Trump’s tariffs against China. (China has retaliated against Trump’s trade war in part by halting the purchase of U.S. soybeans, and increasing soybean purchases from other countries — including Argentina.)
Addressing what critics have called Trump’s departure from ‘America First’ priorities, Varney said to Rollins: “Some Iowa farmers are frustrated because President Trump has been putting $20 billion into Argentina to bail them out. They’re worried that the administration is focusing on foreign financial aid at the expense of American farmers. Madame Secretary, what do you say to those Iowa farmers?”
Fox: Some Iowa farmers are frustrated because Trump has been putting $20 billion into Argentina to bail them out. They’re worried that the administration is focusing on foreign financial aid at the expense of American farmers.
Trump’s Agriculture Secretary: That’s way out of my… pic.twitter.com/tc8bN8TxND
— FactPost (@factpostnews) October 16, 2025
Rollins replied that she understands the frustration from American farmers and she insisted that the President “has farmers’ backs.”
The Secretary then portrayed the bailout as ultimately beyond her domain, saying that what she’s heard from Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is that “for the sake of world peace and world stability, it’s important that President Milei is able to retain the leadership position in Argentina, and very, very important that Argentina continues to partner with America.”
Rollins smiled and added, “That’s way out of my lane. I’m more focused on slinging soybeans and making sure we’re selling cotton.” Varney laughed. U.S. farmers are reportedly less cheerful, though the Trump administration has floated the idea of a bailout to prop up American soybean growers for whom the Chinese market has been shuttered.
[NOTE: Liberal economist Paul Krugman called this bailout reasoning disingenuous, writing: “Bessent has said that Argentina is a ‘systemically important ally.’ As an editorial in the Financial Times — not exactly a left-wing rag — drily notes, this is ‘news to many.’”]
According to a October 3 report from FarmProgress: “With last week’s buy of 7 million metric tons from Argentina—a solid quarter of that country’s soybean and soybean meal production—on top of 12 million bushels from Brazil this calendar year (as of August), chances of China making additional U.S. purchases are falling.”