Karoline Leavitt Blasted for Misleading Claims on Trump’s Tariffs
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, faced significant backlash for claiming that China did not purchase American soybeans during the Biden administration. This assertion, made while defending former President Donald Trump’s tariffs, inaccurately shifted blame for reduced soybean sales from the Trump administration’s trade policies to Biden’s leadership.
Leavitt stated on Newsmax that Trump’s influence led to renewed Chinese purchases of soybeans, contradicting the reality that China ceased buying American soybeans due to tariffs imposed by Trump earlier. The American Soybean Association confirmed that China has not purchased U.S. soybeans since May, pivoting to suppliers in Brazil and Argentina, resulting in panic among U.S. farmers struggling with these losses.
Various experts quickly rebuked Leavitt’s claims. Political Science Professor Branislav Slantchev highlighted the negative impact of Trump’s policies on farmers, questioning why they continue to support him despite the evident harm. Economists and journalists joined the outcry, underscoring Leavitt’s misrepresentation of the agricultural trade scenario.
This incident illustrates the disturbing pattern of misinformation surrounding Trump’s trade policies, which have profoundly affected American agriculture. The consequences of the trade war and subsequent tariffs included a significant drop in U.S. soybean exports, prompting a bailout for farmers impacted by the tumultuous market conditions.
The backlash against Leavitt reflects broader frustration with the administration’s ongoing attempts to manipulate facts in support of discredited former policies, jeopardizing both credibility and the livelihoods of American farmers.