WASHINGTON – There's beef about beef between Congress and the White House.
A group of rural-state Republicans, typically loath to criticize President Donald Trump, is frustrated with plans he revealed last weekend on Air Force One to import more beef from Argentina amid record-high prices. An administration official confirmed Wednesday the United States is preparing to quadruple its beef purchases from the South American country.
"Prices are way down in our country. The only cost that's really up is beef," Trump said in the Oval Office on Oct. 22. "We're going to do something very quickly and easily on beef to get it down. The ranchers understand that."
More: 'Punch our customers in the face.' Farm concerns about Trump tariffs could fuel 2026 races
Yet ranchers have so far been far from sympathetic to the move, with prominent cattle producer groups accusing Trump in recent days of undercutting them.
