On the first day of the Great American State Fair Thursday, President Donald Trump will host a White House Rose Garden dinner honoring farmers, ranchers, cattlemen and growers from across the country and featuring appearances by top administration officials and lawmakers.
“There is no greater champion for American farmers, growers, and ranchers than President Trump, who has negotiated new, fair trade deals, lowered input costs, bolstered the farm safety net, eliminated the death tax, ended taxes on rural property loan interest, and created rural opportunity zones,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Agri-Pulse. “For 250 years, hardworking farmers have fueled our nation, and President Trump continues to take action to help America’s farmers thrive again.”
Cabinet members who will attend include Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz, according to a White House official. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will also be in attendance.
As for the menu, ag producers from at least 17 states will dine on fresh produce from the White House Kitchen Garden and honey from the White House Beehive.
Cut through the clutter! We deliver the news you need to stay informed about farm, food and rural issues. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse here.
Just steps from the White House on the National Mall, the Great American State Fair hosted by the Trump administration-backed Freedom 250 public-private partnership will kick off on Thursday, June 25, to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. Described on the group's website as a “modern-day World’s Fair" that will showcase the “very best of America,” the event will feature state pavilions, industry displays, family-friendly attractions, movie screenings, musical performances, flyovers, daily cultural programming and a ferris wheel.
From MAHA Monday to Wings of Freedom, each day of the 16-day event has a unique theme. Friday, June 26, has been dubbed “Land and Prosperity” day at the event with a focus on the “the American landscape and the discipline required to cultivate it, honoring ranching, agriculture, land stewardship, and the resilience that built the nation,” according to the Freedom 250 website.
The administration’s focus on farmers comes as Trump's approval rating in rural America is slipping.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll issued June 3-8 showed that Trump's approval rating from rural constituents had dipped to 50%, down from 60% in February 2025, driven largely by voter concerns over the economy and the rising cost of living. A mere 31% of rural respondents approved of Trump's handling of economic issues.
In broader efforts to focus on rural America, Trump visited Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, to meet with farmers earlier this month and delivered remarks to farmers on the South Lawn during National Agriculture Week in March. He also notably unveiled the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program with Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins and other administration leaders at the White House in December.
For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.
