Overview
- CNN’s Brianna Keilar and Rep. Mark Alford clashed on air Tuesday over whether farmers’ concerns about rising costs are being heard.
- Keilar cited farmers who say tariffs have driven up fertilizer and other input prices, with one calling payments a band-aid rather than a solution.
- Alford defended farm-bill safety nets and higher reference prices, tying relief to President Trump’s new $12 billion farmer payment.
- He blamed President Joe Biden’s energy policies for higher fertilizer and fuel costs, a claim Keilar challenged using farmers’ tariff complaints.
- Alford said he held 15 town halls and fielded 256 questions, insisting he listens to constituents while noting many Missouri farmers back Trump.