Trump reminds Iowa voters of terminating NAFTA, supporting ethanol, farmers
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (FLV) – Former President Donald Trump boasted about his administration’s renegotiation of NAFTA and support of ethanol while simultaneously knocking rival candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis in a TRUTH Social post.
Trump reminded his followers of his termination of NAFTA, a trade deal widely criticized for its perceived drawbacks for American workers. He emphasized his replacement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, as a triumph.
He also highlighted his support both as a candidate and when he was in the Oval Office for ethanol, an issue of critical importance for Iowa farmers. The former president went on to attack DeSantis as an opponent of ethanol, which is a product that is vital to Iowa’s energy industry and economy.
“I strongly defended and backed Ethanol, Ron ‘DeSaster’ has ALWAYS been strongly against Ethanol,” Trump said.
The Trump administration invested tens of millions of dollars in 2020 to increase the production of ethanol, and also expanded the use of a 15% ethanol product known as E15 for year-long application.
However, both DeSantis and Trump have been criticized for their positions on the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that ethanol account for a specific percentage of the nation’s fuel supply.
DeSantis in particular, as a congressman in 2017, co-sponsored a bill that would end the mandate and thus drive demand for ethanol down whilst Trump was criticized by Iowa republicans for his administration’s application of that same mandate.
Additionally, the former president hit DeSantis on his voting record regarding social security, Medicare and the implementation of a national sales tax of 23% to replace the income tax.
“He voted 3 times to cut Social Security (and raise the minimum age to 70!), obliterate Medicare, and charge everyone a National Sales Tax of 23%,” Trump said.
Trump also asserted that his administration was able to collect $28 billion “in damages” from China and distributed it to American farmers.
Trump’s comments on Iowa come as DeSantis and the former president host campaign events in Iowa with the Florida governor hosting his first rally this past week and Trump set to participate in a town hall with Sean Hannity on Thursday, June 1.
