Trump moves to shield farmers rattled by tariffs and war. But the U.S. is already doling out $10B to near-millionaire and even billionaire farmers

President Donald Trump convened what he called the single largest gathering of American farmers at the White House on Friday, bringing together more than 800 cowboy-hat-wearing men and women. They filled the South Lawn alongside a shiny golden tractor as the president touted his support for the agricultural industry. “I just gave you $12 billion. I don’t know if you know that or not,” Trump boasted, referring to farm relief provided through the USDA’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. Apparently that wasn’t enough, as he then told the crowd he’d asked Congress to approve additional relief in the next funding bill.

But much of the president’s support is actually falling into the hands of the wealthy, and a recent post from libertarian think tank the Cato Institute demonstrates that disparity. The data seems to challenge the notion of a struggling farmer: The national average income of a U.S. farm household in 2024 was $159,334. That’s roughly 32% above the national mean household income, and nearly double the national median of $83,73...