Trump lies about the lobster industry

NBC Fact check: Trump says Obama 'destroyed' Maine's lobster industry. His own trade war is to blame. https://t.co/1MWz0KmHkV
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 29, 2020

Nope. The value of lobster landings increased under Obama and then took a sharp dip as soon as Trump took office. Thanks for the trade war. https://t.co/hGtXAhjHKJ

Signed, An Actual Maine Lobster Boat Captain https://t.co/LEvqp8j9mh
— Genevieve McDonald (@Genevieve_Maine) June 25, 2020

Two seconds here to look at how something tweeted by the president (or more likely someone in his team) might seem random, but isn’t. Exhibit A: 🦞 https://t.co/tfbxvaT9JW
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 25, 2020

Trump lies and lies

Lobster was a top Maine export, including to China. In response to Trump’s trade war, China put a 25% tariff on US lobster. Beijing also cut its tariff on lobster bought from Canada, Maine’s fierce rival.

Canada’s lobster exports to China nearly doubled. https://t.co/L2YKnmIJfR
— Chad P. Bown (@ChadBown) June 5, 2020

How are Trump’s farm subsidies being paid for?

Trump has given 30 billion dollars to farmers to compensate them for the costs of a trade war he started.

I have yet to hear a reporter or interviewer ask the president ‘how are you paying for that?’
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) January 15, 2020

Goldman Sachs casts doubt on Phase 1 US China Trade Deal Soybean Purchases: "The $40 billion figure represents a $24 billion (a year and)..an additional $16 billion for at least two years… there would need to be a big increase in soybean exports..https://t.co/khD2EAdk6S
— comparerateskenya.com (@comparerateske1) January 10, 2020

(Reuters) – Days before a US-China trade deal is due to be signed, large Chinese purchases of Brazilian soybeans and a pair of unexpected policy moves by Beijing have dimmed U.S. hopes that China would double its imports of American farm products this yearhttps://t.co/sdy3tMuDbn
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) January 10, 2020

Trump's trade war (reminder: it didn't address IP theft, currency manipulation & anti-competitive subsidies & hurt our farmers, consumers & manufacturers) pushed China to other markets.

Brazil will now overtake USA as world’s largest soybean producer. https://t.co/aatxwKxOF0
— J.D. Scholten (@JDScholten) December 11, 2019

Trump got into a trade war with China

China cut U.S. dairy purchases by more than 50%

818 dairy farms in Wisconsin went out of business in 2019. That's 10% of the state's dairies and the largest decline in Wisconsin history https://t.co/hjDDgntZMk
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) January 11, 2020

these payments — billed as help for the nation’s ordinary farmers but which go overwhelmingly to small niche of affluent, white large scale producers — are close to the purest form of trumpism https://t.co/UaZgQSxZlr
— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) January 11, 2020

HEARTBREAKING: "Amid Trump Tariffs, Farm Bankruptcies And Suicides Rise" https://t.co/Sw53CKqSWl Via @Forbes #Farmers
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) January 1, 2020

Farmers Got Billions From Taxpayers In 2019, And Hardly Anyone Objected https://t.co/tdsHbeuY7u
— Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) January 1, 2020

And the bailout of farmers, which helped large farms much more than smaller independent farmers is now much greater than auto bailout of crisis. Too late for many as farm bankruptcies have surged and banks in rural areas have closed. That limits access to banking in rural areas https://t.co/4bqSZWvjbV
— Diane Swonk (@DianeSwonk) December 31, 2019

.@MaddowBlog: Farmers’ reality disproves rosy rhetoric from Team Trump.https://t.co/YWzdSayjvd
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 30, 2019

It’s always interesting to see what sorts of government programs face cries of socialism or demands that they be paid for. A $14.5 billion farm bailout doesn’t make the cut.https://t.co/1LQ8Ll1jve
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 30, 2019

American consumers and businesses, not China, are paying for Trump’s tariffs

The Trump tariffs have created a highly lucrative new line of business for connected lobbyists like Reince Priebus, who are being hired by big companies seeking exemptions, while countless little guys have no such luck. @lydiadepillis: https://t.co/W0WENMSMPM
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) January 7, 2020

The paper, which is an update on previous research, found that “approximately 100 percent” of import taxes fell on American buyers. https://t.co/9Nt3SOASO4
— Timothy Aeppel (@TimAeppel) January 7, 2020

Trump raised taxes on steel (also known as tariffs) and now steel workers are losing jobs in Michigan https://t.co/Z9QJSZkQDd
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) December 23, 2019

John Deere is laying off yet another round of workers in Iowa because of Donald Trump's reckless trade war. All he's succeeded at is taking jobs away from American workers. It has to stop. https://t.co/bIXYrQ240G
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 6, 2020

“President Donald Trump’s strategy to use import tariffs to protect and boost U.S. manufacturers backfired and led to job losses and higher prices.”

Another reminder that the Trump trade war failed American workers and businesses. https://t.co/hPCVuLxUoY
— Rep. Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) December 28, 2019

There's been a lot of anecdotal evidence about how tariffs are behind the manufacturing slump. Now the Federal Reserve proves it, finding that the trade war is hurting the sector it was ostensibly supposed to help: https://t.co/JdpbFtEAwO pic.twitter.com/HEKg7C82cw
— Lydia DePillis (@lydiadepillis) December 27, 2019

I’m shocked that the presidents terrible idea turned out to be terrible. https://t.co/t9MkfPg2IT
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) December 27, 2019

1,500+ Michigan jobs lost:

"U.S. steel producers have struggled since the Trump administration put a 25% steel tariff into place last year."

CC: @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/yqd0zKFvid
— Jennifer Granholm (@JenGranholm) December 20, 2019

Here's some back of the napkin math on China deal:

China agrees to buy $50B of ag products next year, increase of $29B from pre-tariff trade.

Tariffs cost U.S. farmers $11B. Then taxpayers put up $28B in emergency ag payouts.

So…we lost/spent $39B. Gained $29B.

Nice work!
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 13, 2019

This is at least the fifth independent analysis finding that Americans are bearing the cost of Trump's tariffs. Here are the other four:https://t.co/HMcyz8bT0V https://t.co/ZhEsgjxQOo https://t.co/eck3Pt1bBO https://t.co/R4AjtNfgFq https://t.co/MqkVNAD0f6
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) November 25, 2019

Thank you, Mr. Presidenthttps://t.co/w6nQrVlitK
— Libertarian-In-Chief (@ToddHagopian) October 8, 2019

The cost of Trump’s tariffs has fallen "entirely" on U.S. businesses and households, Goldman Sachs has said. https://t.co/71eM4vWX6h
— CNBC (@CNBC) October 7, 2019

It is embarrassing to point this out for the Nth time, but:
Trump just now gloated about “billions and billions of dollars pouring into our Treasury” via the China tariffs.

Those dollars are pouring in FROM AMERICAN CONSUMERS AND COMPANIES, not “from China”

They are a TAX
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) September 20, 2019

More on how Trump’s policies are hurting the lobster industry

Did even one of those fools address the issue of retaliatory tariffs on export of #Maine lobster? Do they care? Trump is handing the lobster business to Canada on a silver platter. Goodbye to a lot of small coastal communities! https://t.co/5KDzo5n5uM
— Joe Niemczura, RN (@ccnepal2013) August 25, 2019

Maine lobster takes tariff hit, Canada picks up slack https://t.co/21T9OFvR0R pic.twitter.com/S3CdStfrXC
— National Fisherman (@NatFishMag) August 29, 2019

U.S. lobster exports to China have fallen as Trump’s trade war has brought retaliatory tariffs. That means layoffs in Maine and booming business for Canada.
https://t.co/XhO6qRT3y0
— NBC 10 WJAR (@NBC10) August 26, 2019

I just published Canada benefits from China shifting to it from America to meet its lobster needs https://t.co/Oy60aONhOu
— whitenoise2030 (@whitenoise2030) August 27, 2019

Lobster-loving China has now turned to Canada, hurting the American lobster industry based largely out of Maine https://t.co/RbGhgHUHAU
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 25, 2019

"What about lobsters?" @SenAngusKing discusses how President Trump's tariffs on China impact his state of Maine. "We're paying the tariffs. The idea that China is paying the tariffs just isn't true. This is a tax on the American consumers." https://t.co/EWDh5Ua46K pic.twitter.com/0FsDLFM7aW
— CNN (@CNN) June 13, 2019

Trump’s policies are bad for farmers

China is buying food from other countries instead of the US. I think US farmers have lost business permanently thanks to Trump.

Farmers are getting angry with Trump for gaslighting them so shamelessly about the impact of his trade wars on them.

Trump's agriculture sec "joked" that farmers are "whining" about their travails. You'd think this would be a bigger story.

New piece:https://t.co/hv3vw0pj0P
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 27, 2019

Shot: https://t.co/e5GlzpfBJe

Chaser: 👇👇👇 https://t.co/yhFhBs562R
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) August 30, 2019

Rural support for Trump was always based in large part on farmers' misunderstanding of their own interests 1/ https://t.co/Iql1qvfoBK
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) August 27, 2019

Farmers’ loyalty to Trump tested over new ethanol rules they say favor Big Oil https://t.co/NRFdpD1pu5
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) August 29, 2019

Been awhile since I had a text AND photo byline! https://t.co/aphU5DaWDH
— Julie Pace (@jpaceDC) August 28, 2019

The Trump administration is expected to begin paying $14.5 billion to farmers by the end of August to make up for income lost in the trade war.https://t.co/vZt6pBbh1j
— The Grey Man (@IntelOperator) August 27, 2019

'A slap in the face': Trump's ethanol waivers are sparking rebellion in farm country https://t.co/a0wAxSPh36
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) August 26, 2019

Behold, socialism. https://t.co/zEsHSVVTA5
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) August 27, 2019

Farm Bureau report: Wisconsin again leads nation in family farm bankruptcies https://t.co/1gaoDrOjKl
— Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) August 24, 2019

Trump is scrambling to mollify farmers who are fed up with his trade war.

August was a turning point: Wheat growers chastised Trump for being disrespectful, farmers booed Sonny Perdue for calling them whiners, USDA staff was threatened on a crop tour.https://t.co/QNITtZ7FdN pic.twitter.com/99BdIUgKPD
— Alan Rappeport (@arappeport) August 27, 2019

"This President has the backs of farmers." White House trade adviser Peter Navarro defends Trump's commitment to American farmers, as some farmers say the US trade war with China directly hurts them. https://t.co/3olYhLVdux
— CNN (@CNN) August 18, 2019

Farmers suffer from the double whammy of Trump’s tariffs and weather

Trump’s tariffs have been disastrous for US farmers. China is shopping elsewhere and will never buy as much from the US again. Meanwhile climate change, which Trump has called a Chinese hoax, is making it harder to grow crops. Trump’s lack of acknowledgement will make it harder to combat the climate problems. The majority of Trump’s farm subsidies went to richer farms.

“Net farm income across the country right now is half of what it was six years ago. Every year it ratchets down. This trade uncertainty makes things far, far worse for farmers,” says Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, about the ongoing US-China trade war. pic.twitter.com/2MuvatkkvQ
— CNN (@CNN) August 13, 2019

Farm income is way down, bankruptcies are way up, and farmers are relying on government payments to make ends meet.

So, of course, it’s the perfect time for Sonny Perdue to joke about “whining” farmers. #CantMakeThisUp https://t.co/Mj26XbKmPv
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) August 13, 2019

”Farmers’ discontent over President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with China erupted into the open Wednesday as his agriculture secretary was confronted at a fair in rural Minnesota.” https://t.co/3uSFxhaoyd
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) August 7, 2019

'Trump is ruining our markets': Farmers lose a huge customer to trade war — China https://t.co/OPRWeX4IGQ
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 12, 2019

Due to bad weather conditions, slumping prices and a big trade war, farmers are resorting to side jobs including hosting pizza nights for tourists, to make ends meet. https://t.co/gyAVleyn6K
— Axios (@axios) August 9, 2019

‘Crops aren’t moving. There’s no market’: Why so many family farms are facing bankruptcy – The Washington Post https://t.co/dMEhnDzHqZ
— Le Chat Proud Democrat (@LeChatNoire4) August 7, 2019

BREAKING: Trump trade aid paid the top 1% of farmers an average $188,000 while the bottom 80% averaged less than $5,000, @ewg analysis finds. https://t.co/bWJbuoh0UZ via @markets
— Mike Dorning (@MikeDorning) July 30, 2019

Socializing Big Ag https://t.co/SvooQuGZOG
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) July 31, 2019

Trump’s dumb trade war is hurting farmers so now taxpayers get stuck with the tab as he tries to buy back their votes https://t.co/w6VuRCR4WJ
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) July 26, 2019

Trump was asked what he got in return. He said China agreed to purchase ‘tens of billions’ in US farm products, but he has said this before & farmers have complained that no orders ever materialized.

Chinese officials confirmed nothing. https://t.co/7B2kuPHjnQ
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) June 29, 2019

Trump’s trade wars are pushing America’s rural economy toward a full-blown meltdown after years of financial hardship, and it's causing more farmers to default on loans while putting the squeeze on agricultural lenders https://t.co/wGpwQTkAkD
— POLITICO (@politico) June 24, 2019

“When he was on the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to stop the ‘war on the American farmer.’ He has broken that promise, and Ohio's farm community is paying the price.” – @DavidPepper https://t.co/kIOYR8IAmS
— David C. DeWitt (@DC_DeWitt) August 14, 2019

"I'm scared for my future. I'm scared for my family's future." Farmers are the front lines of America’s climate crisis. So long as we allow special interests to control the narrative, agricultural communities will suffer – along with everyone else.https://t.co/eixZR1HubY
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) August 13, 2019

Farmers are turning to drones and other technology to conserve water from a crucial river in the US West that's under pressure from climate change and booming cities. https://t.co/iwWsVZrlbk
— AP West Region (@APWestRegion) August 14, 2019

Tariffs update 6/22/19

New about the negative impacts of Trump’s tariffs.

Important read: “I don’t know how we’re going to survive this.’ Some once-loyal farmers begin to doubt Trump. https://t.co/nobPVsllIZ
— Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) June 22, 2019

Per the Atlantic, China is responding to the trade war by cutting the tariffs on thousands of products from the rest of the world’s fisheries, farmers, and firms. One example, lobster sales, has seen the U.S. displaced by Canada and it may never recover.https://t.co/5pJPGoFVa4 pic.twitter.com/f6Rlikehde
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) June 19, 2019

“Thanks to our tariffs, America’s steel mills are roaring back to life. You know that,” Trump says at Florida rally https://t.co/o6yIdqe8y3
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 19, 2019

Liar

NEW: 600 American retailers, manufacturers and tech companies including Walmart, Costco, Target, Gap, Levi Strauss and Foot Locker warned Trump on Thursday that tariffs on China will damage the US economy, lead to job losses & harm millions of consumers.https://t.co/zKJL7GGBAV
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) June 13, 2019

WATCH: @MorganRadford talks to truckers in Georgia who say President Trump’s economic policies are taking a toll:

“They say the promises made by the president to put them first weren’t exactly the promises kept.” https://t.co/iBl1uWadlW
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 9, 2019

Trump promised to put 'American truckers first.' Drivers say he hasn't delivered.

"I've seen an $8,000 increase in my taxes this year."

"Last year I owned 10 trucks, 10 trailers. This year I own one truck, one trailer because of all the taxation."https://t.co/hdxvXN616V
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 9, 2019

So far Trump's tariffs have cost each American household $850. If Trump slaps a 25% tariff on all Chinese goods, it will be $2100. If he raises all tariffs he's threatened, $4000 — the same amount he promised would trickle down from his giant corporate tax cut but didn't. https://t.co/QM7K4jlf78
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) June 9, 2019

Seems like a piece of information that might be relevant to some segment of voters https://t.co/IyzhhZtWzf
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 7, 2019

Tariffs on Mexico could cost America 400,000 jobs, a new report says – CNN https://t.co/kf5nv9pGda
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) June 5, 2019

Trump lies about the steel industry

The tariffs have failed and actually harmed the steel industry.

Trump yesterday: "In one year Tariffs have rebuilt our Steel Industry – it is booming!" https://t.co/rKZfeMoxzV
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) May 15, 2019

U.S. Steel stock prices: 📉

• May 18, 2018: $36.46
• May 14, 2019: $15.13 https://t.co/EdMVFlR5sn
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) May 14, 2019

Trump’s tariffs are hurting farmers

Experts quit Trump admin after facing retaliation for reports showing tariffs, GOP tax law hurt US farmers: report https://t.co/m2Mv2hrZI5 pic.twitter.com/jZdNyDkIF6
— The Hill (@thehill) May 8, 2019

Republican Senator Joni Ernst appears to be privately telling Trump that his trade war is hurting Iowa farmers, the NYT reports.

Remember, Trump told his rally that estate tax repeal helps farmers, and the crowd cheered.https://t.co/ssoqVf9X5R pic.twitter.com/y2Y5Ea1i5A
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 8, 2019

A new study, co-authored by the @WorldBank's chief economist, "concluded the main victims of Trump's trade wars had been farmers and blue-collar workers in areas that supported Trump in the 2016 election." https://t.co/0Bbn7pSMDw
— David Gura (@davidgura) May 8, 2019

Trump lies about tariffs

We pay the additional costs, not the Chinese. Trump is lying or doesn’t understand tariffs. He has said things like this several times so I assume someone has explained tariffs to him. I think this is just another lie.

For those who have never studied econ, history, trade, etc, tariffs are NOT something one country (China) pays another (USA)

They are an additional tax/ price that whoever BUYS the product has to pay. A $500 washer might cost $600 with tariffed steel. US consumers pay every cent https://t.co/ZW8AHWsgKy
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) May 5, 2019

2/2 There are cases when tariffs can make good strategic and economic-development sense. (As I argued in detail here: https://t.co/0vrdYjI1vE )

But the idea that China is paying this cost, rather than US consumers, is so wrong as to be beyond the known range of wrongness
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) May 5, 2019

That's $100 billion in tax hikes on Americans.

Example: Trump tariffs raised price of a washing machine $86, price of a dryer $92.https://t.co/inlbC4BYmi https://t.co/nW1cRd1cNQ
— Rick Newman (@rickjnewman) May 8, 2019