What did Iowa farmers tell the BBC about Trump's Argentine beef imports and the national debt?

Speaking to Samira Hussain on a farm near Dubuque, Iowa, one cattle farmer said Donald Trump's decision to allow beef imports from Argentina hurt his bottom line and left him wanting a change in government. His cousin, a lifelong conservative voter, said his main worry was the size of the US national debt, which he said no Republican or Democrat on the campaign trail was talking about.

• Both farmers grow some corn and soybeans, but cattle is their main income.
• A Dubuque food pantry director reported a 20% rise in visitors over the past year, many of them first-time clients.
• Iowa's Senate race pits Republican Ashley Hinson against Democrat Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic basketball gold medallist.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

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