U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) attacked President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over a plan to bring more foreign beef into the country at a lower tariff rate.
“This is insane,” Massie wrote. “By what metric do we measure success of agriculture in the United States? I can tell you this ain’t it. Cattlemen going out of business and consumers can’t afford American beef.”
This is insane. By what metric do we measure success of agriculture in the United States? I can tell you this ain’t it. Cattlemen going out of business and consumers can’t afford American beef. The problem is the Ag Secretary and Trump are captured by the foreign beef cartel. https://t.co/78Dv5T7HNM
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 22, 2026
“The problem,” he added, “is the Ag Secretary and Trump are captured by the foreign beef cartel.”
Massie was responding to Trump’s decision to temporarily expand imports of lean beef trimmings under an August 26 proclamation, which allows up to 300,000 additional metric tons to enter the U.S. at the lower tariff rate over three months.
Trump announces that the U.S. will allow 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported and that it would be sold at 25 percent below market prices. All of this comes as Trump warns about the dangers of socialism and communism. pic.twitter.com/ikJqjdBnKV
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) August 21, 2026
[NOTE: The lean trimmings allowed by Trump’s order are commonly mixed with fattier American beef to make ground beef.]
Trump wrote: “For the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff.” He added, “We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices.”
With the American cattle herd at a 75-year low, Trump asserts that the added supply will bring down grocery prices. Rollins says the help is needed, as Americans consume approximately 13 million metric tons of beef a year and domestic ranchers only produce about 11 million metric tons.
Massie’s outrage aligns with the position of industry groups like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which said Trump’s policy threatens cattle ranchers’ ability to grow their herds by introducing more uncertainty into the market while operating costs remain high.
If Massie’s use of the “foreign beef cartel” phrase sounds familiar, that’s likely because it echoes the Trump administration’s own warnings about foreign control of the meatpacking industry.
In November 2025, Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate the largest meatpackers for possible collusion, price fixing and price manipulation, with the White House describing the companies as “foreign-owned meat packing cartels.”
And in May 2026, Rollins described foreign control of the meatpacking industry as a threat to American cattle producers: “Half of these meatpacking giants, including the largest meatpacker in the world, are either foreign-owned or have significant foreign ownership and control.”
.@SecRollins: “Half of these meatpacking giants, including the largest meat packer in the world, are either foreign-owned or have significant foreign ownership and control, making them a threat not just to our cattle producers, but a threat to America itself.” pic.twitter.com/C2q1taJWng
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 4, 2026