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Iowa farmer says Trump has lost his support

There’s been a lot of speculation as to whether farmers will turn out to vote for President Trump in 2020 the way they did in 2016.

Kelly Niewenhuis, who farms near the town of Primghar in northwest Iowa, says he voted for Trump the first time. But as things stand right now, Niewenhuis says he won’t do it again.

“I know the frustration I’ve been feeling,” Niewenhuis says. “From what I’ve seen in the first roughly three years, he (Trump) has done more demand destruction to U.S. agriculture than any president I can remember. And I remember Jimmy Carter’s grain embargo and I think we’re in that same place right now.”

Niewenhuis says he’s not the only farmer who is frustrated with Trump.

“I’ve had a lot of friends tell me they probably will just sit out the next election,” he says. “We’re a pretty strong Republican area up in this part of the state and pretty much most of them supported President Trump the last round. But unless something major changes, their views are it’s going to be hard to make that decision again.”

Niewenhuis says he’s especially frustrated with Trump’s broken promises on ethanol and the administration’s failure to follow the intent of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Niewenhuis serves as chairman of the board of the Siouxland Energy ethanol plant at Sioux Center, Iowa, which is being shut down this week because of poor profit margins. Niewenhuis says the RFS waivers granted to oil refiners are to blame.