President Donald Trump arrived in rural Wisconsin on Friday with a message designed to resonate with one of the Republican Party’s most important constituencies: farmers. Armed with a stronger-than-expected jobs report and a stock market sitting near record highs, Trump painted a picture of an economy gaining momentum while promising that relief from rising fuel and fertilizer costs could be just months away.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion in Chippewa Falls, Trump celebrated new economic data showing the United States added 172,000 jobs in May, a figure that significantly exceeded many economists’ expectations and gave the White House fresh ammunition as it heads toward the midterm election season.
“I’m delighted to report that for the third month in a row the jobs numbers — I guess you saw them this morning — they just got released and they smashed all expectations,” Trump told the crowd.
The president emphasized that the gains came during a period of heightened tensions in the Middle East, which he repeatedly referred to as a military conflict rather than a full-scale war.
“And this is during a military conflict,” Trump said. “I call it that because it’s really not that much of a war, but it’s a military conflict.”
He pointed specifically to manufacturing and construction employment, noting that the economy added 7,000 manufacturing jobs and 17,000 construction jobs during the month.
“These are the strongest job numbers of the entire administration so far,” Trump declared.
The event took place inside a large farm building, with Trump seated in front of a massive green John Deere tractor as he addressed farmers, local officials, and Republican candidates.
While much of the discussion focused on jobs and growth, Trump devoted considerable attention to concerns that have been weighing heavily on farmers in recent months: energy and fertilizer prices.
The president argued that rising costs were tied directly to instability in the Middle East and predicted those increases would be temporary.
“Over the last couple of months since we went in for the military operation, you’ve seen fertilizer go up and you’ve seen the energy go up,” Trump said.
“It’s going to come down to where it was, or lower.”
He repeatedly promised that farmers would see significant improvements within the next three months.
“I told Ken, 90 days, watch what happens,” Trump said, referring to one of the farmers participating in the discussion.
“You could be better — better than you were four months ago.”
Trump linked those predictions to ongoing negotiations and military developments involving Iran, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved.
“We’re at a point we’re going to come out of Iran very quickly, and it’s going to be very strong one way or the other,” he said.
Whether through diplomacy or a more forceful resolution, Trump argued that stability would eventually return to global energy markets.
For farmers, that matters enormously. Fertilizer production is heavily dependent on energy prices, and disruptions in global oil and natural gas markets can quickly ripple through the agricultural sector.
Several farmers participating in the event thanked the administration for policies they said had benefited their businesses, including measures affecting dairy production, beer brewing, and family farm succession planning.
Trump also touted broader economic indicators, including wage growth and stock market performance.
“Your 401(k)s, as you know, just hit a record high,” he told attendees.
The president highlighted gains in artificial intelligence investment, manufacturing expansion, and what he described as a surge of foreign investment flowing into the United States.
“We have $18 trillion coming into the United States,” he said.
At one point, Trump cited improvements in employment figures among African Americans, though he jokingly acknowledged uncertainty about the source of one statistic he referenced.
“African American unemployment is now doing better than it’s ever done,” he said. “And I don’t know where that stat came from, but I’ll take it.”
Despite Trump’s optimism, the political reality remains more complicated.
Recent polling shows many Americans remain dissatisfied with the economy, particularly as inflation pressures persist and concerns about rising prices continue to dominate voter sentiment. While stock markets have performed strongly, many households remain focused on everyday costs such as groceries, housing, and fuel.
Trump acknowledged some of those concerns but argued that his administration’s policies are producing results and that conditions would improve further in the months ahead.
He also reiterated support for year-round sales of E15 gasoline, a policy popular among ethanol producers and many Midwestern farmers, while praising tax cuts included in last year’s legislative package.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins echoed the president’s confidence, predicting record-breaking export numbers for American agricultural products.
“We are going to break every record for dairy, for tree nuts, for corn, for ethanol,” Rollins said.
As the event concluded, Trump shifted from economic statistics back to politics, urging the crowd to support Republican candidates while arguing that Democrats would mishandle the economy if given the opportunity.
