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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Tester Fires Back After Trump Disses Wheat

Wheat
(PD)
Wheat

Montana senator and wheat farmer Jon Tester is firing back after President Trump mocked the role of wheat in trade with Japan. 

Tuesday at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, President Trump said of Japan, "They send us thousands and thousands — millions of cars, we send them wheat. Wheat. That’s not a good deal. And they don’t even want our wheat. They do it because they want us to at least feel that we’re OK. They do it to make us feel good.”

In a statement issued today, Sen. Tester said, “Montana farmers grow the best wheat in the world, and that’s exactly why countries like Japan—the number one importer of our wheat and one of America’s closest allies—buy it,”

The president made his remarks at a Shell petrochemicals plant being built outside Pittsburgh in a speech he said was about America’s energy dominance and manufacturing revival.

Eric Whitney is NPR's Mountain West/Great Plains Bureau Chief, and was the former news director for Montana Public Radio.
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