President Donald Trump is rolling out a new $12 billion aid package aimed at supporting farmers struggling with falling crop prices and the long-term impact of tariffs.
The bulk of the money, up to $11 billion, will go directly to crop farmers through what the administration calls a “bridge assistance” program.
Fox News Calls It What It Is: A Subsidy
But as Fox News political analyst Brit Hume explained in a recent segment, this is not a loan or temporary bridge.
“This is a subsidy. This is 11 or 12 billion dollars paid out, money going into the pockets” of farmers who are hurting, Hume said.
While the program is being framed as a form of emergency relief, Hume made it clear that it’s essentially a bailout prompted by the economic strain Trump’s own trade policies have caused.
“The president otherwise emotionally conservative on economic policies [is] engaging in a government program to try to bail out farmers who are hurt by his other program,” he said, referring to the tariffs.
Tariffs Created the Problem, Aid Only Eases It
Treasury officials and Trump defended the move, saying the aid is necessary because China had “used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations.” The goal, they say, is to help farmers stay afloat and plan for the next growing season.
President Trump said farmers don’t actually want government money, they want a fair shot. “They don’t want aid. They want a level playing field. I have seen that more with farmers than anybody else,” he said.
The administration says the payments will be distributed by February 2026 at the latest. The aid covers some additional crops that weren’t included in earlier versions of the assistance program.
Affordability Push Ahead of Midterms
This design references the "Leopards Ate My Face" meme which mocks Trump voters who express regret when the Republican policies they voted for come back to hurt them.
The rollout of the farm relief package is happening alongside Trump’s new affordability push, which begins in Pennsylvania and comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The administration appears to be putting together a full-court press on cost-of-living issues as inflation continues to affect everyday Americans.
Inflation Is Down, But Prices Remain High
According to Hume, tackling affordability is politically necessary but also economically complicated.
“It’s a particularly thorny issue,” he said. “If he didn’t [talk about it], it would suggest that the president and his team are unaware or impervious to the suffering that people who are fighting these high prices are feeling.”
Hume added that while inflation has cooled compared to its peak, prices often don’t fall, they just stop rising.
“Trying to get prices down… that would mean you are [seeing] deflation. That’s worse than inflation. [It would] mean the economy is going south,” he said.
Hope for Growth in 2026
For now, the administration is hoping that next year’s economic plans will result in growth that makes prices easier to live with.
“There is a considerable hope that his program, as it kicks in next year, [will] produce a new boom,” Hume noted.
But with crop prices still under pressure and the aid package not addressing the root causes, critics argue it’s a bandage on a self-inflicted wound.
Trump’s trade war created instability for farmers, yet he’s now using taxpayer dollars to cover the damage. Critics say this kind of reactive policy rewards poor planning and leaves the underlying issues unresolved.