Trump: just another politician, eager to steal our money

To make the case he was the most farmer-friendly president, Trump bragged about giving a $28 billion bailout to farmers to make up for harms done by his trade war with China. He also explicitly tied that aid to his 2024 Iowa caucus hopes. “A few months ago, they were talking about ‘Do you think he'll win Iowa?’ I said, ‘How the hell can you not? I gave the farmers $28 billion. How the hell do you lose?’”

Trump goes to Iowa to try to buy votes with the ethanol scam. Too bad that his audience was mostly non-farmers from Nebraska, but they ignored his boasts about being king of farm “subsidies”, and loved him anyway. I don’t.

There are no principles here, just an overwhelming, egotistical ambition to return to the White House. Pffft.

Trump … went on at length about ethanol, a heavily subsidized biofuel. His more than a dozen mentions of ethanol never got more than the tiniest applause. Specifically, he attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for opposing the Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal law that forces refineries to blend ethanol with their gasoline.

“Every Iowan needs to know that Ron 'DeSanctis' totally despises Iowa ethanol, and ethanol generally. ... He was a congressman, and he was fighting for years to kill every single job supported by this very important industry. Ending the Renewable Fuel Standard was one of his top priorities — as a member of Congress, he wanted to end it.”

“And if he had his way, the entire economy of Iowa would absolutely collapse because it would collapse if he did that, to say, just slandered the ethanol mandate as, quote, socialism.”Trump also went on at length about ethanol, a heavily subsidized biofuel. His more than a dozen mentions of ethanol never got more than the tiniest applause. Specifically, he attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for opposing the Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal law that forces refineries to blend ethanol with their gasoline.

“Every Iowan needs to know that Ron 'DeSanctis' totally despises Iowa ethanol, and ethanol generally. ... He was a congressman, and he was fighting for years to kill every single job supported by this very important industry. Ending the Renewable Fuel Standard was one of his top priorities — as a member of Congress, he wanted to end it.”

“And if he had his way, the entire economy of Iowa would absolutely collapse because it would collapse if he did that, to say, just slandered the ethanol mandate as, quote, socialism.”

There’s absolutely nothing good to say about ethanol, but 40% of the nation’s corn crop is devoted to producing it, and Iowa farmers, and the huge agra-business corporations, depend on the revenue they “earn” by selling it to the oil refiners who are required by law to use it.