Trump and Republicans' trade war, war with Iran, and cuts to health care have pushed American farmers to a breaking point

Today, the DNC released a new mini-documentary featuring Louisiana farmer Kaden Cable, who shares his personal story of the devastating impacts of Donald Trump's unhinged trade war and war with Iran, both of which have pushed farmers to a breaking point. Trump's trade war forced the agricultural trade deficit to hit a record high in 2025, and nearly 60% of U.S. farmers say their finances are getting worse as fertilizer and fuel costs rise from Trump's war with Iran.

Meanwhile, Trump and Republicans' cuts to healthcare have made it even harder for farmers to make ends meet. In the documentary, Kaden said his monthly health insurance premium went from about $467 to $1,448 after Trump and Republicans refused to extend ACA tax credits, forcing them to consider dropping their insurance coverage altogether.

WATCH the video:

Louisiana farmer Kaden Cable:

"With this illegal war in Iran, it has been stressful to say the least. We saw a significant price increase on the price of fertilizers. We either have to choose to eat that cost and less money either goes back and invest it into the farm, or we're not getting paid a livable wage. And we have had people complain. We've had people cancel. That makes me feel like a bad business owner, because it's either I suffer, or they suffer."

The American Farm Bureau Federation and other major agriculture groups sounded the alarm on Trump's war with Iran in a letter, writing, "the closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent fuel and fertilizer prices skyrocketing - further straining a farm economy that already had its back against the wall due to record inflation, trade uncertainty, rapidly declining crop prices and catastrophic natural disasters."

After devastating the agricultural economy, Trump announced a $12 billion farm bailout, but experts say the bailout will not fix the impacts of his trade war, which has caused permanent damage to exports. The majority of farmers will have to use the bailout payments just to pay down debt.

As family farms went bankrupt at the fastest pace in five years in 2025, spiking by 46% from 2024, alongside record-high farm debt, Trump and Republicans' cuts to health care skyrocketed health care costs for millions of Americans.