John Bartman is a fifth-generation farmer whose family has been farming in Illinois since 1846. He works 900 acres in Illinois, running a largely row-crop vegetable and grain operation. Bartman was hit hard by President Donald Trump’s policies: A federal sustainability program he relied on was cut, and tariffs on China sent soybean prices plunging so low that Bartman couldn’t break even. The result wasn’t protection for American farmers, he said. It was the rapid erosion of markets they had spent decades building.
Bartman has become an outspoken voice about the effects of tariffs and trade tension on farmers. After the Supreme Court struck down the president’s most sweeping tariffs on Friday, I asked Bartman about the ruling’s possible impact, including how much of the damage he has seen can be undone. His responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Rupa Subramanya: How do you see things going forward under President Trump?
John Bartman: He is going to keep his plan of tariffs as long as he can, and at least the Supreme Court stood up and gave a positive ruling. Congress has been very complicit. Until these guys are voted out of office, we’re going to have to deal with him, and I am very cautious. Farmers want certainty, and you just never know what you’re gonna get.
