Iowa has long been a strong support base for Trump, yet Trump's policies on trade, energy, and immigration are putting pressure on the state's farmers, disrupting the labor market, and threatening various industries. Iowa has become one of the states most affected by Trump's policies nationwide. In the first quarter of this year, the state's GDP fell by 6.1% year-on-year, ranking second in the nation, behind only Nebraska. Farmers feel that they are fighting economic battles on multiple fronts. In addition to losing the Chinese soybean market due to Trump's trade war, Trump's tariff policies have caused significant increases in the cost of tractors and fertilizers. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for 17% of the state's economic output, faces higher production costs due to high tariffs on raw materials such as aluminum and steel. At the same time, the agricultural industry is facing an increasing shortage of labor. As a major pork-producing state in the United States, Iowa's meat processing plants highly depend on foreign workers, and thousands of these workers have had their legal status revoked under Trump's policies. Trump's unfriendly policies toward renewable energy also threaten the wind energy industry, which provides more than half of the electricity in Iowa, and the wind turbines that are visible throughout the state also bring income to some farmers in the state. Trump said he would import more affordable beef from Argentina due to the rise in American beef prices, which also affects Iowa's large-scale beef industry. The feelings of Iowans towards Trump's policies will inevitably be reflected in the midterm elections next year. At least two congressional districts in the state will face intense competition next year, and the governor and a U.S. senator are about to retire, with their successors being elected, and currently these positions are held by Republicans.
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Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847110303574027/
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