By Evie Liu

President Donald Trump used a farmers' rally in Wisconsin on Friday to make a midterm pitch to voters in one of the country's most closely watched House districts.

The event was framed as a celebration of American farmers, but it carried a clear political purpose: rallying Republican voters before the 2026 midterm elections as the party tries to protect its narrow House majority and defend the Wisconsin seat of Rep. Derrick Van Orden.

Van Orden represents Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District, which has historically been a swing district. He is facing Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke, who narrowly lost to him in the 2024 race.

Appearing in Chippewa Falls, Trump said his policies had helped farmers by lowering costs, expanding markets and cutting regulations.

Tax saving was a big talking point. Trump said his administration has made an income deduction for smaller farms permanent in the 2025 tax law, and allowed farmers to deduct the full cost of equipment such as tractors in the first year of purchase.

He said Republicans had protected family farms by ending the estate tax on the transfer of property after someone dies. The change helped families pass farms to the next generation without being forced to sell land, said Trump.

The president also pointed to the financial aid his administration has provided to farmers, though a lot of it came as a remedy for farmers hit by Trump's trade war with China. Beijing has retaliated against the U.S. with sharply reduced imports of American agriculture goods.

In December, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced $12 billion in one-time payments for farmers facing market disruptions, high input costs and trade-related pressures.

This would come as a bridge payment before the Congress passes a farm bill, a massive piece of legislation that sets U.S. agricultural, nutrition, conservation, and rural development policies for several years. Congress has yet to pass a new version as lawmakers remain divided on various issues.

Facing reduced sales to China, Trump said his administration had expanded exports of American meat, poultry, soybeans, biofuels and Wisconsin dairy, citing stronger dairy sales to Japan, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Australia.

When it comes to biofuel regulations, Trump pledged support for year-round sales of fuel with 15% ethanol blend, commonly referred to as the E15 bill. This could support demand for corn, a major feedstock for ethanol production in the U.S.

On other fronts, Trump said he's repealed Biden-era environmental rules to give farmers more control over their land and equipment.

Trump said his administration was working with Congress to pass the new farm bill, and promised to bring down grocery, fuel and fertilizer costs. Whether those promises come to fruition may matter not only for farmers, but also for Republicans trying to win farm-state districts in the midterm elections.

Write to Evie Liu at evie.liu@barrons.com

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June 05, 2026 19:55 ET (23:55 GMT)

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