Trump Hosts Rose Garden Club Dinner for American Farmers

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump welcomed farmers and ranchers from across the country to the White House for a special dinner in the newly revamped Rose Garden Club on Thursday.

“We’re delighted to be joined by some of the hardest working, most dedicated patriots in our country,” Trump said. “That’s called the American farmers.”

He thanked the audience for their generational commitment to growing and producing food for the country.

“The country was founded by farmers, and 250 years later, you are the growers, the ranchers, the agricultural producers, and you feed the nation, and you power the entire world,” Trump said.

While joking about his “city-slicker” background, the president emphasized the vital role farmers and ranchers play and his gratitude for their support.

“As far as I’m concerned, you are the people—you are the very special ones, you’re the chosen ones,” Trump said. “You’re the farmers, and you’re the ones that keep it all going. So, I’m with you a thousand percent.”

He told the crowd about his recent request to Congress for a supplemental funding bill with $11 billion in relief payments for farmers.

The approximately 20-minute-long dinner speech reinforced the president’s America First agenda, focusing on policy wins for rural Americans, including renegotiated trade agreements related to soybeans, corn, beef, pork, and other goods.

Trump also signed an executive order earlier in the day aimed at strengthening the nation’s farmers by advancing regenerative agricultural practices, which the order says “strengthen soil health, lower input costs, improve chemical efficiency to reduce overall use, improve farm profitability, maintain yields, increase market value, expand access to new markets, and strengthen rural economies.”

“It was my honor to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to accelerate agricultural innovations that give farmers and ranchers the necessary resources to ensure American crops are the healthiest, and the most abundant, and the most affordable,” Trump said during the dinner. “And we’re always working for the farmer. We want to make it better and easier for you.”

The federal government is directed to promote advanced technologies, including tractors with lasers that remove invasive weeds with precision, reducing the need for chemical herbicides and pesticides.

Another section directs the Environmental Protection Agency director, along with the secretary of Agriculture and the secretary of Health and Human Services, to expedite research into how chemicals are used and whether cumulative exposure is detrimental to human health.

Trump recently redesigned the historic Rose Garden, located just outside the Oval Office, installing a concrete patio with seating, tables, and umbrellas, along with a sound system controlled by the presidential deejay.

“This used to be grass, and it was unusable,” Trump told the crowd.

“Finally, after about 150 years, we decided to do something about it. And we put a beautiful stone that matches the White House.”

First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins were in attendance, among other administration officials.

The event coincided with the opening day of the Great State Fair on the National Mall celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.