Farmers praised by President Trump in surprise message at World Ag Expo in Tulare
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Trump praised farmers in a 2026 video message at World Ag Expo opening day.
- Trump highlighted $12B+ farm relief, trade wins, and reduced regulations.
- Organizers kept the taped message secret; they saw it as a positive trade sign.
President Donald J. Trump praised farmers for their hard work and contributions to the economy in a video message played at the World AG Expo opening day ceremony Tuesday in Tulare.
“The men and women at this expo are the heart and soul of America,” Trump said during the two-minute video. “You’re the people who get up before dawn and work until after dark and feed our nation, power our economy and make the most of the land that God gave us.”
Megan Lausten, marketing manager with the farm show, said this was the first year the Ag Expo has had a video message from a current president.
“We have only had past presidents visit the show in the past, but never a message from a sitting president,” she said.
Ron Clark, 2026 World Ag Expo Chairman, said Ag Expo organizers wanted to keep the video message, which Trump taped last week, under wraps until the opening ceremony, which also included remarks by Luke J. Lindberg, under secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“We thought about using it in promotional stuff. And then we thought, nah, we’ll just save it for this,” Clark said.
As president, Trump said in the message that he is fighting for the “American farmer.” He said that his administration has “done a record number of regulations to get federal bureaucrats off your land and out of your business and out of your pockets.”
Trump highlighted his administration’s effort not only to reduce regulations but also to provide more than $12 billion in direct farm relief, secure trade deals benefiting farmers, including $40 billion in soybean exports to China and nearly $1 billion in ethanol sales to the United Kingdom. He also mentioned expanding markets for beef, dairy and biofuels across Asia and Europe and supporting legislation to allow E15 fuel year-round.
This is Trump’s first message of any kind to the World Ag Expo between his two administrations.
Clark said a takeaway for all the farmers in the Central Valley with Trump’s video message is that “it’s a positive sign that things are starting to change regarding trade.”
“We hope this tariff situation ends up being what we need to be in the end,” Clark said. “It has been a little tough on some of us in the meantime, but we think we’re on the right track.”
“Many hands make light work, but those hands need to come together in order to make sure that everyone within the ag industry is seen, is heard, and is able to continue growing our state and country,” said Tulare County supervisor Eddie Valero.
Clark said the video message was arranged by past Ag Expo chairman, Connie Conway, a former Congresswoman who has been in the Republican Party for years and who is well-connected in politics.
“It’s our custom to invite everybody to the World Ag Expo, and I think somehow it got the attention of the White House,” Conway said.
Conway said “farmers are our blood life here. Farmers and farmworkers, and we celebrate all of them; this is an international show.”
“I think the message is important that the administration is working for us and trying to make things better,” said Conway of Trump’s message. “We feed the world here in the Central Valley, and we want to keep doing that.”
Kings County supervisor Doug Verboon said having not only a USDA undersecretary at the Ag Expo and a message from the president “shows how important Ag is to our community. This is how we survive. This is the number one income. This is our natural resources that we need to thrive on.”
Tuesday’s opening ceremonies also included the winners of the Top-10 New Products Competition sponsored by F3 Innovate, and the recipients of the “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, sponsored by Coast Counties Peterbilt.
This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Farmers praised by President Trump in surprise message at World Ag Expo in Tulare."
