Trump’s contradictory claim about China’s Xi causes a storm | US | News

President Donald Trump appeared confused while discussing America’s soybean trade with China.

Agricultural producers specializing in corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, cattle, wheat and potatoes were all present at the meeting; here the president unveiled a $12 billion agriculture support package designed to help struggling farmers market their produce due to increased spending following rising tariffs on China as part of a sweeping trade dispute.

Trump said, “I told President Xi this, our soybeans are more nutritious than competitors. Someone asked, ‘Is this a Trump statement or is it real?’ he said.

He continued, “Actually, do you know who asked me this question? President Xi asked me this question. He said, ‘Really? I’ve never heard of it.’ He also bought food for a long time.”

The comments left many stunned, as one user responded to a video clip shared on

“So Trump admits that everything he said was pure bullshit…” someone else replied.

A third user added: “He can’t even coherently state his own lie. He claims he told Xi that our soybeans are more nutritious, then he claims Xi asked him which soybeans are more nutritious. How does this work?”

This statement comes after a noticeable drop in President Trump’s popularity ratings.

Farmers, traditionally staunch supporters of Trump, are becoming increasingly disgruntled as Trump’s aggressive trade strategies and fluctuating tariff rates negatively impact their livelihoods.

Soybeans and sorghum bear the brunt of the ongoing trade conflict; More than half of these crops are exported each year, primarily to China. Since Trump announced the deal in late October, Beijing has purchased only about 2.8 million metric tons of soybeans; This is only a quarter of the figure China initially promised.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained the need for this “bridge payment” to farmers during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” stating that “the Chinese are essentially using our soybean farmers as pawns in trade negotiations.”

Trump also faced criticism over rising beef prices. The cost of beef has reached an all-time high as drought reduces herds in the U.S., and imports from Mexico are also declining due to a resurgence of parasites.

In response, Trump announced plans to increase imports of Argentinian beef to alleviate this problem.

Trump also signed an executive order over the weekend directing the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to examine “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains that include seeds, fertilizers and machinery, as well as consider enforcement actions or prepare new regulations.

Ahead of the meeting, Agriculture Minister Brooke Rollins said: “What you can do is open those markets over and over again, move towards an era where our farmers are not so dependent on government controls, but have markets to sell their produce. “That said, we have a bridge payment that we’ll be announcing with you next week because we’re still trying to recover from the Biden years.

“Many of our farmers have long been farming for government control rather than shipping their products around the world. These trade agreements change that forever,” Rollins said.

Although President Trump has called rising concerns about affordability a “hoax” by Democrats, this aid package aims to ease the pressure of rising spending while continuing to bolster Trump’s economic leadership.

But not everyone is convinced by this approach. Mark Read, Illinois Soybean Association Region 5 manager, previously told CNN: “Farmers don’t want free aid. We want free trade.”