Wyoming cattle ranchers and a sitting senator representing the nation’s most pro-Trump state are pushing back on the president’s plan to import tariff-free foreign beef from unidentified countries in hopes of reducing costs for American grocery shoppers.
Let out of the chute Friday, the Trump administration’s plan would allow more than 660 million pounds of ground beef to enter the United States over the next 90 days. All that beef could be sold at 25% below market rate. Stockgrowers and conservative rural-state Republicans quickly condemned the market intervention, warning it would harm western ranchers. On Monday, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso joined the fray.
“Americans want US beef on the table — not foreign imports,” Wyoming’s senior senator posted on social media. “Our ranchers don’t ask for special treatment. They simply want a fair marketplace. It needs to be easier — not harder — for Wyoming ranchers to feed America.”
Barrasso’s office did not respond Tuesday to WyoFile’s request for an interview.
Barrasso’s rebuke marks one of the very few occasions that the senator from Casper has publicly opposed a Trump administration position. The Senate majority whip — the second highest-ranking Republican in the upper chamber — has been in office since 2007 and is typically in lockstep with the president.
A physician by training, Barrasso told Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Sept. 2025 that he was “deeply concerned” by the Trump appointee’s vaccine policies. And in November that year, the state’s senior senator also went on record in opposition to Trump’s demands that the U.S. Senate abolish the filibuster — a position he’s held consistently over the years.
Now this week’s rare beef is the latest well-publicized Trump-Barrasso policy disagreement.
Some of Barrasso’s cattle-raising constituents are equally concerned about the president’s plans.
“During this time of drought and high-input costs, this does make a setback to the market,” Wyoming Stock Growers Association President Reg Phillips told WyoFile on Tuesday. “It hurts the producers, so that’s not a good feeling.”
The Crook County Cattle Women also have expressed skepticism about the president’s plans. WyoFile’s efforts to interview the group’s board members weren’t immediately successful on Tuesday, but they questioned the president’s efforts on their Facebook page.
“Who is this ‘they’ that sets beef prices? Packers? Feeders? Walmart?” the cattlewomen posted. “How are ‘they’ going to sell foreign beef for 25% less than American beef? I thought country of origin labeling was just impossible.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has also criticized the president’s plans.
“Today’s announcement and other market interventions throw cold water on the prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short term messaging,” Colin Woodall, the trade group’s CEO, said in a statement Friday.
It remains unclear where the balance of Wyoming’s Congressional delegation stands on Trump’s beef import plans. Neither U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis nor U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman has made any public remarks about Trump’s plans and WyoFile’s inquiries with their offices on Tuesday did not yield a response before publication.
Other western Republican senators also have bellowed about the plans.
“Flooding the market with foreign beef hurts our livestock industry and undermines the long-term solution: growing the U.S. cattle herd to meet demand,” Sen. Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, said in a statement.
Montana Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy wrote on social media that the president’s “heart is in the right place,” but importing beef will “harm our ranching families who feed the nation.” And Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, said that while he appreciates the administration’s focus on grocery prices, “short term policy shifts do not equal long term solutions.”
When pressed by reporters, Trump did not reveal which country or countries the 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef would be coming from.
In the wake of a New York Times investigation that found wild horses — including from Wyoming — are being quickly transferred to buyers who are trucking them into Canada to be slaughtered, conspiracy theories and internet jokes have run rampant.
What exactly is that discounted mystery meat Americans are about to eat?
—The Associated Press contributed to this story
Of course Trump has stabbed the rancher in the back. He is the worst president on agriculture has ever been. And yet the ranchers keep voting for the jerk. So I don’t feel sorry for you ranchers you voted for this you got it. He’s no better on the rest of the country or the world with his tariffs and his crazy war everything‘s upside down. But at least he’s got girlfriends and his ballroom to keep him occupied.
Barrasso needs the money the stock growers’ lobby gives him to feather his nest. Greed is the only thing that will cause him to break with Trump on any issue. And I’ll bet he asked the White House for permission first.
Just an observation that Senator Lummis and Representative Harriet Hageman are now suddenly silent? Where are they? Looks like they’re leaving this one all for Senator Barasso. The pressure must be too much! Shame on them!
People should remember Hagaman’s silence on this issue when they vote in November. While the ranchers will take the biggest hit, the rest Wyoming’s economy will feel it, too.
I wonder what Trump’s commission is from whatever foreign country the beef (?) the meat is coming from. I noticed the other day that Barrasso was in Trump’s ear during the car race in Washington. He probably was telling Trump how handsome he is. That’s required to get anything out of Trump you know. If he was pleading to stop the import of beef it apparently didn’t work.
John (you don’t deserve the title of Senator),
It wasn’t a pedophile ring, or corruption, or another pointless war, or inflation, or the fact that thousands of Wyoming folks lost their health insurance that finally got your attention. It was the price of beef. Not that I don’t support our producers. I very much do. But this is the issue that made you grow a spine? I regret ever voting for you and look forward to the day you are voted out.
Senator Barrasso
You lost any credibility you may have had when you threw your Hippocratic Oath din the trash and allowed RFK jr to become head of Health and Human services to placate Trump and secure your power. Now that Trump is losing control of the party, you suddenly have concerns about RFK policies on vaccines the exact same policies he promoted his whole life ( frankly if I’m going to take medical from a heroin addict, I’ll go with Keith Ricard’
Well, he finally grew a pair.
With all that Dr./Senator Barrasso has not objected to in a meaningful way….with all the public lands, energy, environment, education, health care, water, immigration, voting rights and economic issues at stake, finally the good Dr found something besides not liking a policy of reduced vaccinations to take a stand on. Its the right move. Cynically thinking, maybe the recent election results have his attention. Mr. Trump’s “act first and think second” means of governing is creating voter backlash and Dr/Senator Barrasso may smell blood in the water. But he has just gotten the support of the cattlemen’s lobby.
Congratulations to the Senator for sticking up for Wyoming cattle producers and beef eaters (if not spenders) over national politics! Truly a first. And hopefully a first step in de-coupling from the MAGA lock step.
I like to know where the meat and produce I consume comes from. I’m not alone as this is a growing trend across the US. It’s a healthier economic and nutritional model for consumers, growers, and the planet. Why would we want to import beef without adequate safeguards in place? I’m concerned for the US cattle industry, but also about the health risks associated with quick-fix imports. Let’s work within our borders to solve this crisis.
Hmmm. Is this rat at last abandoning Trump’s sinking ship?
Republican policies are plundering our economy, relations with our allies, trade partners and hurting Americans. Senseless tariffs and a war with Iran, a country of 92 million people. Our federal deficit was at $39 trillion prior to the war, now it’s over $40 trillion. Now they’re imposing more tariffs on Canada, our number one trade partner, once again raising costs to Americans. This shows the stupidity and incompetence of the party. Our representatives have endorsed all of these policies. Now the president is importing foreign beef and one of our representatives is finally speaking out. I’m sure our Stock Growers Association are elated over that news. Our representatives of this state are failing all of us!
Thank you! I agree totally with your comment. I not a Barrasso fan by any means, seems strange that he speaking against his leader! I won’t be eating any beef that comes from any foreign country, hope it sets in storage and rots. However, I would enjoy eating beef from Canada! Old man trump needs to be gone from office, what the hell is stopping his removal????
Let’s give Senator Barrasso, Senator Lummis and Representative Hageman a big shout out for enabling President Trump to bring foreign beef and horse meat to our dinner tables at the expense of U.S. farmers and ranchers. Don’t forget to also thank the DC 3 Stooges for enabling Trump to increase the cost of a gallon of 85 octane gasoline to $4.42 a gallon and diesel at $5.53 a gallon just in time for the Labor Day holiday. And thank them for your sky high grocery prices too. Mystery Foreign Meat – It’s What’s for Dinner!
People need to learn to stop voting for the labeled parties and vote for what’s right. Many voted for this very outcome even if they did not know it at the time.
3.4 million head of cattle in feedlots for 150 days plus 1.8 million over 180 days of expensive cattle that have to go to slaughter, this gives meatpackers leverage . Nothing changes no transparency, profits being made at the expense of others .
In typical Trump fashion, he actually stated “they will be sending in the highest quality beef”.
We all know that is a complete lie, it is supposed to be for hamburger.
Ultimately this is a move to try and cover over the increasing debt\INFLATION costing Americans every minute of the day. That problem is wholly bipartisan and Democrats are no better than Trump and equally responsible.
“Mystery meat” Mike?
Yes exactly! However “mystery meat” has been on supermarket shelves for decades now thanks to DC policy created AgriCorp industrial ranching.
And that is the exact reason I am wanting to Honestly protect every elk I possibly can, that have been decimated by invasive wolves and a saturated bear population.
I refuse to buy Trump’s, and every other Bipartisan DC politician’s mystery meat.
The announcement for the beef deal came out Friday following Wyoming’s primary election. Interesting that it did not come out the Friday prior to the primary
Don’t forget that the soon-to-be-former SOS Gray has those 2000 mules. I’m betting that he might be willing to sell them all to the meat packers for cheap come November when Wyoming voters give him directions to the unemployment line instead of a plane ticket to DC…
Don’t bank on that happening, much as most of us wish it would.
the senator pulled his nose out of Trump’s ass? naw, he’s still a weasel
Looks like the administration may have finally found a way to monetize all those wild horses that they have been slaughtering…
The result of voting for the lesser of 2 evils will ALWAYS result in evil.
American’s have done it for a very long time, and this is what they get for their participation in the charade.
If the midterms are a big enough landslide, maybe America will be entertained with another “impeachment”, with conviction for a topper.
Barrasso has shown time and time again that he is hardly a “profile in courage”, as J.F.K phrased it. I suspect the only reason he’s pushing back against Trump this time is because of Trump’s rapidly declining popularity and Wyoming’s ranchers breathing down his neck over this particular issue. Lummis and Hageman will poke their little heads up when they know it’s safe.
Absolutely! Pressure is all on Barasso now! As usual Harriet Hageman is hiding and this time Cynthia Lummis is with her of course!
Barrasso: Too little too late. Lummis and Hageman: Still silent…