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Good afternoon,
Welcome back to another week in wild, wild America. For starters, Trump administration national security leaders made a big mistake, and it looks really bad. They included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief at The Atlantic, in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen using an unsecured, publicly available app. This is a national security nightmare and casts significant doubt on the competence of the people running our country.
Yesterday, Trump also threatened to impose a 25% tariff on countries that purchase oil and gas from Venezuela. Trump also continued giving mixed signals about the likelihood of 25% tariffs impacting automakers, raising the prospect of skyrocketing auto costs.
And finally, there's the billionaire that just keeps billionaire-ing, Elon Musk. The oligarch leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency attended a cabinet meeting where he received copious amounts of praise for the agency's dubious cost-cutting actions. NBC News reports "the meeting appeared choreographed to highlight its effectiveness and how department heads and Musk were delivering on its mandate."
Here are a few important updates...
AMERICANS' FRUSTRATIONS ARE GROWING
After the National Republican Congressional Committee advised Republicans against holding public town halls following constituents' anger toward their policies going viral, lawmakers across the country are continuing to face very frustrated constituents, including farmers. Utah Representatives Celeste Maloy (UT-02) and Mike Kennedy (UT-03) recently held a town hall in Salt Lake City that turned into utter chaos within minutes.
Additionally, Senator Chuck Grassley fielded difficult questions from Iowans upset about the Trump administration and government oversight. Five farmers spoke out about the impact of the ongoing USDA funding freeze during a recent virtual briefing hosted by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Politico notes that "Republicans deflected blame from the Trump administration, telling farmers and terminated USDA employees to be patient with the president's federal overhaul." This is pretty much the last thing Americans want to hear.
That's the issue with making promises you can't keep. One of the main reasons Americans elected Trump was because he promised immediate results. Now that we're a few months into Trump's second presidency and people are not experiencing positive results, they are outraged. It's only a matter of time before everything boils over.
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Each week, this newsletter highlights what's going on in rural states, counties, and communities, and what One Country Project is up to around the country. If you value this content, please consider donating to One Country Project. Your contribution supports our efforts to connect with rural voters and to promote greater opportunities for rural communities.
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TRUMP IS TRYING TO DUMP THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the "dismantling of the U.S. Education Department." As reported by AP News, "The Republican president has argued the federal office hasn't improved student outcomes and is unnecessary in a country where states and local districts primarily control education from funding to hiring and curriculum." However, the administration has promised that "formula funding" that includes programs like Title I and the Rural Education Achievement Program would be preserved. These programs are enshrined in federal law, meaning that congressional action is necessary to dismantle them.
Unfortunately, President Trump is no rule follower and has already taken some swings at the Department of Education that will have an impact on these programs which are critical for communities in rural America and beyond. Given that most statisticians and data experts who determine what schools qualify for funding are being stripped of their jobs, the future of these grants is uncertain.
According to Education Week, "for the last several decades, rural districts in many parts of the country have had to make significant cuts, merge operations with each other, and even shut down entirely, as downward trends in the broader population take a toll." At a time when our country should be investing in and supporting education in rural America, we have a leader who is prioritizing his extremist agenda over the wellbeing of Americans. We must encourage lawmakers to protect classroom funding and put students first, especially those in rural areas or those who have special needs.
NUMBER OF THE WEEK
$191 billion– The value of the U.S. agricultural export sector, which is threatened by President Trump's tariffs he has imposed on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China. The president has said he would overhaul the global trading system on April 2 and is planning to impose "reciprocal tariffs" in response to the levies and other policies that countries impose on American exports. Trump's trade war is in full swing, and everyone is bracing for impact as that deadline nears.
- On March 26, SCOTUS will hear arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of federal funding for rural broadband service.
WHAT WE'RE READING
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