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Trump: 'Farmers are the backbone of our country'

Posted on February 19, 2019 12:00 AM

By Jay Stone

President Donald Trump praised farmers for their perseverance in difficult times, thanked them for their support of national policy, promised they would reap benefits from his administration’s stance on international trade and lauded the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) for its 100 years of work on behalf of the nation’s farmers.

“For 100 years, this organization has faithfully represented the men and women who are the backbone of our country,” Trump said. “On this special anniversary, we gather to celebrate America’s proud farming heritage. Through your sweat, through all of your work, the strength of your hands, and the faith in your hearts, the American farmer feeds and fuels and sustains our nation.”

More than 180 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members attended the convention, many of them opting to participate in a preconvention tour of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and a driving tour of the Crescent City.

Trump, who appeared at the AFBF convention for the second straight year, gave an hour-long speech at AFBF’s closing general session on Jan. 14, spending more than 20 minutes of it making the case for building the wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, before touting his administration’s work on trade, taxes, the farm bill, rural broadband and federal regulations. His speech was interrupted 10 times by standing ovations.

The president introduced Arizona rancher Jim Chilton, whose land is on the U.S.-Mexico border. Chilton, who says drug smugglers cut through his land as they enter the U.S., told Trump and the crowd of approximately 6,000 farmers and ranchers that the wall is needed. A transcript of the president’s speech is available at www.gfb.ag/TrumpAFBFspeech.