In eastern South Dakota and the surrounding area, nearly 70% of voters picked Donald Trump during the 2024 election.
Although few regret their decision, this agriculture-based community is starting to feel financial pressure from Trump’s tariff decisions.
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“Now, I don’t know what would have been better,” Jaime Baysinger, a local waitress, told CNN, admitting that she now doubts her choice after the president’s first 100 days in office. “I was expecting a lower cost of your everyday living things.”
Some didn’t vote for Trump, and that small minority of South Dakotans were hesitant to share their opinions with CNN reporter Elle Reeve. Those interviewed expressed anxiety, fear and concern about how Trump’s actions could hurt the Alpena, South Dakota community.
Candor with a hint of caution
Farmers, residents and entrepreneurs now find themselves at a crossroads. They’re proud of their political stripes, but grow increasingly worried about how trade tensions will affect their bottom line.
Further to Baysinger’s comments, she said she was hopeful that the cost of living would not continue to increase.
“Groceries are already outrageous, and then we put the tariffs on across the seas or whatever, like China,” she said. “It just makes everything more expensive for everybody.”
Baysinger is not alone. Becky Hofer, a freight broker who votes Democrat, watched her neighbors vote for policies that will impact the community.
“The biggest thing that frustrates me is that I just feel like nobody cares right now until it affects them,” she told Reeve. “And I don’t understand how they don’t see that.”
To offset her frustration, some farmers showed patience and a laissez-faire approach.
“I think we need to let the president do what he’s doing,” cattle rancher Rod Olerud admitted. “We need to just see what’s going to happen here and give him a little latitude.”
Those who experienced Trump’s first term, and the tariffs on China in 2018, were skeptical, however. Tommy Baruth, a since-retired soybean farmer, felt the pinch firsthand.
“The export market just went right down the tubes because these countries could buy them from other places cheaper, and a lot of times those markets don’t come back,” he said, adding he thinks it’s too soon for his neighbors to open up and admit they’re wrong.
As the economic situation continues to evolve, the area will feel the pinch, regardless of whether or not South Dakotans regret who they voted for.
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Farming under pressure
Tariffs are poised to impact the American agriculture industry. But it’s not the first time they’ve bruised operations. According to the American Soybean Association (ASA), soy growers have still not fully recovered from the 2018 trade war Trump initiated with China.
“In the summer of 2018, soybeans were the prime casualty when the U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese imports,” the ASA said in a recent press release. “China quickly responded with retaliatory tariffs, including on U.S. soybeans; a move that essentially halted soy exports to the country overnight.”
With exports halted, farmers were the first to experience the financial impact. Even with this experience, many farmers are still willing to support Trump during these renewed tariff talks.
“If it doesn’t work, then we’re going to have to try something different,” says Olerud.
Still, as farmers fail to break even, that laissez-faire approach may make it harder for them to repay loans and potentially increase reliance on government subsidies. Beyond cash flow, farmers who had been hoping to retire — or pass on the family farm to the next generation — may have to pull back on the reins.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
