'The more time I spend listening in rural communities, the clearer it becomes: China isn't paying the price for this reckless trade war. We are,' writes Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke for CNNOpinion
Beto O'Rourke is running for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. He is a former US Representative from Texas. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.
Two things were unavoidable as I visited Sargent Farm outside of Pacific Junction in southwest Iowa earlier this month. The first was the smell and sight of rotting soybeans, which were spilling out of busted bins and scattered across the land as far as the eye could see. The second was that the fields had all but turned into lakes.
It turns out the two were directly connected. Beto O'Rourke"Last year's harvest is on the ground," third-generation farmers and brothers Matt and Dan Sargent explained to me."This year's is under water." President Donald Trump's tariffs have led America's trading partners to turn elsewhere -- leaving many farmers like the Sargents holding the bag.
Farmer who voted for Trump: I'm not going to be quiet 02:35Read MoreThe Sargents thought they might find some relief through their government-issued crop insurance, only to discover that it didn't cover stored grains. When Trump's Department of Agriculture finally reached out to the Sargents, it wasn't with assistance, but with a threat.
Farmer warns US: America could suffer 03:01The President said he would compensate the farmers whose lives were upended by the very crisis he created -- but to this day, many farmers I spoke to say they have received little if any compensation. Needing to find work elsewhere in order to make a living, some farmers tell me they are having to walk away from their profession altogether.
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