Michelle Norris

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

You know, when you see. Elon Musk with that big blinged out red chainsaw. You know, it's not just that they are firing people, that they're doing it in such an ignominious manner. They're doing it with glee. Yeah. You know, and it just it is just wrong in the way that they're doing this. I was struck by a couple of things. I do believe that we're going to see them go after Social Security.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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You know, they asked the bank robber, why did you go to the bank? Well, because that's where the money is. Yeah. And in order for them to get to these numbers, they're probably going to look at Social Security. And that's an opportunity for the Democrats to to message to people and, you know, is your mom okay? Is your family okay?

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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I spent a good time texting with people who work with farmers, because I decided to focus on one thing. They work with farmers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. And they were very upset, you know, by this and the tariffs. The farmers are going to get hit very hard in this. They got hit last time in the trade war with China. They barely recovered last time.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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We're talking about big numbers, hundreds of millions of dollars. Some of the people who are involved in direct-to-consumer farming, organic farming, will probably do okay, but commodity farmers are going to get hit really hard. The USAID program, they grow sorghum, they grow barley, they grow wheat, they go in those secondary markets regularly. are very important to them.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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And not just through the Food for Peace program, but also just selling, you know, a third of the corn grown in Illinois goes to Mexico. And Mexico will likely look for other sources. They'll look to South America. Pork and soybean go to China. So this is going to have a direct impact. And what I'm hearing from people is a level of disrespect. And he said it on Truth Social. He said it tonight.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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This is going to be great for the farmers. Go and have fun.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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If you've ever spent any time on a farm, they're great pride in what they do, but it's not fun. And I just want to say one thing about the pride, because that's one of the things that I know in the time that I have personally spent on farms. For the farmers who are involved in the USAID program, it is a source of income for them, but it is also a source of pride and dignity.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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When you travel throughout the Midwest in places like Kansas and Illinois, you've seen this when you've been out on the campaign trail, they will have signs on the side of the farms that say, we feed the world. That is how they see themselves. And he does not understand that. He doesn't respect that aspect of their work.

The Rachel Maddow Show

Special coverage of Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress

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And I don't think, and one of the things I heard today from someone I was talking to in Minnesota said that they don't think that he respects them as entrepreneurs, as businessmen. And that's essentially where farmers are. They're businessmen, and he's messing with their money.