| <No.668> |
| President Trump’s Actions Resonate With Farmers, Workers |
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American farmers like Wendell Shauman
backed the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement
during the 2016 presidential campaign.
"When trade works,
the world wins."
But what if President Trump’s first move
after taking office
was to withdraw the U.S. from the TPP,
making good on a campaign promise?
"Any time you back out of a trade deal,
it's not a precedent I like to see."
The results:
a loss of new markets
and price increases for U.S. farm products
like corns and soybeans.
While that means a direct hit
on Wendell Shauman’s pocketbook,
he is not disappointed.
"You are a farmer,
you have a Ph.D,
you are well-traveled,
you understand how trade agreement and international trade works,
and you voted for Trump."
"Ah, it was…, yes."
Shauman says
his support for Trump went beyond profits.
"We’re conservative people.
We think
government is too big.
We’ve got too many regulations.
We could only see more of them coming from Hillary.
We could see a more liberal Supreme Court."
Not far from Shauman’s farm
is the former site of the Maytag appliance factory.
George Carney worked there
for more than two decades
until the factory moved to Mexico
and his job disappeared.
Carney blames it
on the North American Free Trade Agreement,
also known as NAFTA.
He has struggled to find steady work since,
and was strongly opposed to the TPP.
"Just the bad experience of the NAFTA left a bad taste in my mouth,
so I was against it
because it’s being a trade agreement."
But Trump’s opposition to TPP was not enough
to gain Carney’s vote in November.
"He comes off
like a babbling buffoon.
But I think
he’s doing his job right.
I like what he is doing."
Which is why Carney,
who has never voted for a Republican for president before,
is looking ahead to the next election.
"I could see myself vote for Trump
next time."
Although Wendell Shauman is on the opposite side of Trump
regarding TPP,
he, too, says
he could vote for Trump again,
depending on how he handles any changes to the NAFTA agreement,
and how he continues to conduct himself while president.
"Yeah, sometimes it’s frustrating.
Sometimes it’s embarrassing.
I literally said,
‘why don’t you just grow up.’
But he’s the president
and we’re gonna live with him
for four years.
We’ll see where this ride goes."
Kane Farabaugh, VOA News, Galesburg, Illinois |
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