Trump Unveils $12 Billion Relief Package for America's Farmers

Today, President Trump unveiling a 12 billion dollar farm aid package at a round table with cabinet members and American farmers. This comes just a day before the president heads off to Pennsylvania to highlight his efforts to reduce inflation. We go live now to entities Washington correspondent Mari Otsu standing by live at the north lawn. Good evening, Mari. Uh so tell us uh what took place today. >> Steve, good evening. Yes, President Trump today unveiled that 12 billion farmer aid package here in the cabinet room alongside farmers of corn, cattle, soybeans, and many other industries. And in this package, an initial 11 billion will be given to farmers of row crops. Then another additional $1 billion is still being sorted out for specialty crops. Uh the aid will be given through a one-time bridge assistant program uh under the Department of Agricultures newly named Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. Uh here's Court Holib, a farmer from Iowa, saying how the aid will affect his family. Watch. >> I think you brought I think you brought Christmas to farmers uh with this bridge payment. You have a backbone to stand up to other countries for trade. I'll be able to potentially pass on a farm to my children because of you. >> Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the payments will start by February 28th. >> But by the end of this month, so just in the next couple of weeks, every farmer uh that is able to apply for it will know exactly what that number looks like. >> Farmers are an indispensable national asset, part of the backbone of America. I've always felt it so strongly. They're so important. This announcement comes as the US has been in a trade war with China, leading to some US farmers struggling to sell their crops as Beijing pulled back on purchases of products like soybeans. A move that President Trump condemned as economically hostile. >> Either in person or when we are on a call with President Xi, the first thing the president asking for is more soybean purchases. We we we don't talk about geopolitics. We don't talk about trade. It's about soybean. >> We don't even say hello. We immediately start [laughter] Soybean. Start with the soybean, please. Could you do a little? It's always could you do a little more. >> Soybean purchases gradually ramped up after a late October agreement between President Trump and CCP leader Xihinping with China making its biggest daily soybean buy in 2 years last month. >> China committed to purchased at least at least 12 million metric tons of US soybeans this growing season, followed by a minimum of 25 million tons annually for the next 3 years. However, current soybean purchase quantities are still far behind the committed 12 million tons that China said that they would commit to by the end of February. And meanwhile, President Trump is threatening to impose an additional 5% tariff on Mexico, accusing it of violating a water sharing treaty. The president is demanding that Mexico immediately release the 200,000 acre feet of water before the end of this year, saying that it's damaging Texas crops and livestock and that it's hurting American farmers. Steve, >> that was a very big and surprising development there on Mexico. Mari, as the president often does, and he did today at that round table with cabinet members and farmers, he opens it up uh to the press for wide-ranging questions, one of which uh has been a hot topic. the administration's boat strikes on narco terrorists in Venezuela. This comes as some Democratic lawmakers are urging his uh defense secretary or his secretary of war Pete Hegsth to resign. What's the latest on that situation? >> Sure, Steve. So, there's been that from the Democratic lawmakers, but there's also been a wave of reporting uh that's straining the Hegathth Trump relationship or there's uh speaking about alleged strains in that relationship that's largely tied to that September 2nd boat strike off the coast of Venezuela. And Hegath is now facing uh allegations of war crimes by some lawmakers and other several lawmakers are also urging his immediate resignation as you said. Uh Hegath however shows no signs of stepping down and contrary uh to the reporting uh that's undercutting the relationship between the president and the secretary of war. Um President Trump today is still holding out uh Hexath's public support. Uh the president said last week that he would support uh releasing the September 2nd boat strike video. Uh but today uh he says that he's deferring to Hegsath on that decision. Watch. Are you ordering the secretary to release that full video? >> Whatever he decides is okay with me. So, every boat we knock out of the water, every boat we save 25,000 American lives. Uh, that was a boat loaded up with drugs. I saw the video. I told you whatever Pete Hexth wants to do is okay with me. And this is all coming just a day before President Trump goes off to Pennsylvania where he's expected to tout his administration's economic agenda and address uh the inflation crisis before the upcoming 2026 midterms. Steve, back to you. >> There you have it. Looks like a full vote of confidence for the Secretary of War Pete Hegath from President of the United States entities Mario live at the White House. Thank you, Mari.