President Donald Trump channeled the 1980s pop hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up' during a speech to U.S. farmers in the White House Rose Garden, declaring 'We're never going to let you down' while announcing $11 billion in agricultural relief. The unexpected reference to Rick Astley came as Trump sought to reassure farmers hit by previous administration policies.
$11 Billion Relief Package for Specialty Crops
Trump urged Congress to pass a supplemental funding bill providing $11 billion for specialty crops, aiming to help agricultural producers recover from losses he attributed to the Biden administration's 'horrible rules and regulations.' He stated, 'We're never going to let you down,' echoing the famous song lyric.
Praise for Iran as a 'Lovely Country'
In a surprising pivot, Trump described Iran as a 'beautiful place' and a potential new market for U.S. agricultural exports. He claimed Iran is 'having a hard time with food' and that the U.S. would use Iranian funds to buy wheat, soybeans, and corn. 'That process is gonna be starting pretty soon. It's gonna be pretty big,' he said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Responds
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's Parliament, swiftly condemned Trump's remarks on X, writing: 'America falsely claims our unfrozen assets will buy their agriculture. Interesting. The only crop we're harvesting is what you planted: decades of mistrust. It's organic, abundant, and home-grown. But apparently the US only exports GMO soybeans, broken promises, and trash talks.'
Executive Order on Regenerative Agriculture
Prior to the speech, Trump signed an Executive Order to 'advance regenerative agriculture,' aiming to help farmers 'capture new value' from their land. Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins praised the move, stating: 'This is exactly what President Trump's America First agenda looks like: empowering farmers and ranchers, supporting rural communities, driving lower input costs, improving farmer profitability, advancing regenerative agriculture, and helping Make America Healthy Again.'
