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On Politics

Thu Aug 27 2026

Zachary Schermele | Congressional Correspondent

@zachschermele

Hello, readers. Welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional correspondent. It's Thursday, and it's been almost a week since President Donald Trump declared he'd be easing tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef imports for 90 days. How are cattle ranchers feeling about the move? I drove down a few dirt roads in Power, Montana (population ~200), to find out.

'Absolutely idiotic'

I spent the last few days chatting with ranchers in the Treasure State about the president's decision, which he made official via executive proclamation yesterday. Trump stressed it was aimed at lowering food prices for consumers. Yet similar to a growing chorus of congressional Republicans, the livestock producers I talked to had some pretty harsh criticism:

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"It's absolutely idiotic," said Tim Brunner, president of the Montana Cattlemen's Association, whose Power ranch I visited on Tuesday. He and others told me that although the mysteriously sourced 660 million pounds isn't that much beef, perception is everything at an auction barn, where Brunner said decent cows are already selling at lower prices per head. Between the import increase, the trade war with Canada and the actual war with Iran, White House policies are squeezing ranchers in the lead-up to what is sure to be a challenging fall season.

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"This is like the perfect storm of crap," said Richard Liebert, the group's former president.

Tim Brunner, president of the Montana Cattlemen's Association, stands by grazing cattle at his ranch in the small town of Power, Montana.

Zach Schermele, USA TODAY

Gus Mundt, a fourth-generation Montana rancher and dad to a 3-year-old girl, braced at the thought of selling his heifers at lower prices. That's a change from just a few months ago, he told me, when market improvements allowed him to invest in a new tractor.

•	"It just sucks," he said. "Now I’ve got to think about having to save again."

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