President Donald Trump is trying to thread the political needle of addressing economic concerns while keeping important and powerful constituencies happy before November’s midterm elections.
Proposals, from a temporary, limited beef tariff suspension to a U.S. diesel export ban, are an attempt to decrease consumer prices amid polling that indicates inflation is voters’ top priority before Nov. 3.
But they have also prompted pushback from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to the American Petroleum Institute, both of which represent the interests of people and companies that typically support Trump and Republicans.
“The president evaluates many policy proposals and makes the decision that is best for the American people,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the Washington Examiner. “Ultimately, President Trump remains committed to unleashing American energy dominance, cutting costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families.”
For Republican strategist Cesar Conda, Trump has a “habit of floating ideas and seeing how people react.”
“Sometimes that works well, and sometimes it doesn’t,” Conda told the Washington Examiner. “In this case, the reaction to a possible diesel export ban was pretty strong, even from some of his own friends and allies, like [the] Heritage [Foundation], Larry Kudlow, and Stephen Moore.”
Trump told reporters before his sideline meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday that he supported a diesel export ban, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent amplified his comments.
But Energy Secretary Chris Wright told multiple news outlets in the aftermath that the administration was considering introducing diesel export restrictions, not an outright ban, after shares in U.S. refiners fell following a disputed Politico report that aides were contemplating a 90-day ban.
“What’s being discussed is what’s the most efficient way to get more diesel into the United States of America and continue maximum flows of gasoline and jet fuel and all that,” Wright told the New York Times.
That placated the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, American Petroleum Institute, and others, which, in the interim, had implored Trump and the White House not to implement a ban.
“Americans are hurting from rising diesel costs driven by an unprecedented disruption to global refining capacity,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers told the Washington Examiner. “We understand the administration is looking at every option to deliver relief, but restricting U.S. energy exports would only compound the problem, exacerbating refining challenges and ultimately hurting consumers. The answer is more supply and more flexibility, not new restrictions that risk making a difficult situation worse.”
But it has not placated the anxieties of, for example, farmers in Iowa, who, on Thursday, were paying an average of $6.27 per gallon for diesel, according to AAA.
In fact, it is Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), whose home state of Iowa has a toss-up Senate race, three competitive House races, and a governor’s race that is currently trending toward the Democratic nominee, who has become the most vocal advocate of a diesel export ban.
Diesel prices per gallon surpassed $6 this month after Russian President Vladimir Putin instituted his own diesel export ban, with Russia typically exporting more diesel than any other country in the world apart from the United States.
But as the diesel export ban divides Republicans, with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) supporting it as Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) opposes it, so too does Trump’s beef tariff suspension.
Although some Republicans welcomed Trump announcing in August that his administration would permit up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported without out-of-quota tariffs during the next three months, others such as Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) contended that “Americans want U.S. beef on the table — not foreign imports.”
“Wyoming ranchers produce the highest quality beef in the world,” Barrasso posted on X. “Our ranchers don’t ask for special treatment. They simply want a fair marketplace. It needs to be easier — not harder — for Wyoming ranchers to feed America.”
Mindful of his standing with farmers and other rural voters in battleground states this November, including Iowa and increasingly Kansas and Ohio, Trump referenced how they have been helped by his trade deals with China, despite the tariff war that took place before last year’s truce and China’s boycott of U.S. soybeans as part of the conflict.
“Working together, President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries,” Trump said during his opening remarks at the start of Xi’s state visit on Thursday. “During my last visit last May, we created the Board of Trade, and through that, it’s a brand new mechanism … that’s been unbelievably successful. Our teams have been working to encourage a more balanced trading relationship, including the new market access for American farmers and ranchers.”
TRUMP AND XI ARE ARMED WITH A DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES
Conda, the Republican strategist, added that Trump “talks a lot about trusting his gut and making decisions that way.”
“But whatever you think of his style, the results speak for themselves,” he said. “So I think it’s fair to say that his approach is unconventional, but it’s also been consequential.”