‘Mayhem’: Farmer warns of catastrophic consequences from Trump’s federal workforce cuts
Since January, the Trump administration has reduced the federal workforce by roughly 10 percent – some 249,000 jobs – and one New York farmer is warning of what he said could be catastrophic consequences.
“We’re just going to see a huge amount of farms going out of business this year because of the mayhem,” said Wes Hillingham, a veteran organic farmer and environmental advocate from New York, speaking with the New York Times in its report Tuesday.
With a significant share of the federal workforce cuts impacting the Agriculture Department – which lost close to one-fifth of its entire staff, or around 20,000 employees – Hillingham told the Times that many farmers are struggling to get updates from the Trump administration on grants and other federal programs they had already accounted for in their planning.
Gillingham noted that even getting someone from the Agriculture Department on the phone was often a challenge.
The Trump administration appeared to downplay Hillingham’s concerns, however, with Agriculture Department spokesperson Alex Varsamis telling the Times that the Trump administration was “being transparent” about what he called its efforts to “return the department to a customer service focused, farmer-first agency.”
“President Trump is utilizing all the tools available to ensure farmers have what they need to continue their farming operations,” Varsamis said, speaking to the Times.
But for American farmers, particularly soybean farmers, 2025 has been a challenging year. Earlier this year, China, the single-largest importer of American-grown soybeans, instituted a full boycott of the crop, a move that left farmers outraged, and Trump, reportedly panicked, who quickly floated a $10 billion bailout for farmers. That bailout later grew to $12 billion, and is now expected to be delivered in February.New DOJ order ‘forever bars’ US from tax claims against Trump family
The Department of Justice has issued an order permanently barring the United States from pursuing any tax claims or other legal actions against President Donald Trump, his family, his trusts, and his companies, according to a Justice Department document signed Tuesday by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The order, issued in connection with the settlement of Trump v. Internal Revenue Service, stated, "The United States RELEASES, WAIVES, ACQUITS, and FOREVER DISCHARGES" the plaintiffs and is "FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims, counterclaims, causes of action, appeals, or requests for any relief" against Trump or related parties.
The settlement agreement had already created what the DOJ calls Trump's "Anti-Weaponization Fund," a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded pot to compensate people who claim they were politically targeted by previous administrations.
The barred claims include anything that "have been or could have been asserted" against the plaintiffs arising from three categories: matters raised or that could have been raised in the case or pending agency claims; "Lawfare and/or Weaponization"; or "any matters currently pending or that could be pending (including tax returns filed before the Effective Date) before Defendants or other agencies or departments."
The order was first flagged by CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane.
During testimony on Tuesday, Blanche defended the $1.776 billion fund and was accused of still acting as Trump's personal attorney.
MeidasTouch wrote in reaction, "Trump's personal attorney is at it again."
