President Donald Trump arrived in Wisconsin on Friday ready to celebrate what he sees as proof that his economic agenda is working, pointing to a stronger-than-expected jobs report, record stock market levels, and what he promised would soon be relief from rising fuel and fertilizer costs that have frustrated farmers and consumers alike.
Speaking at a farmer roundtable in Chippewa Falls, Trump used the event to make both an economic argument and a political one, telling attendees that recent economic gains should give voters confidence as the country heads toward the midterm elections.
The centerpiece of his case was the May jobs report, which showed the economy added 172,000 jobs, significantly outperforming many forecasts.
“I’m delighted to report that for the third month in a row the jobs numbers just got released and they smashed all expectations,” Trump told the audience.
The president emphasized that the gains occurred despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
“And this is during a military conflict,” he said. “I call it that because it’s really not that much of a war, but it’s a military conflict.”
Trump described the report as the strongest monthly employment performance of his current administration and highlighted gains in manufacturing and construction.
“In a single month we added 7,000 new manufacturing jobs and 17,000 new construction jobs,” he said.
He also pointed to rising wages, arguing that blue-collar workers have seen some of the largest gains.
“Wages for workers continue to rise,” Trump said. “Blue collar is doing better than it’s ever done before.”
The event, held inside a large farm building with a green John Deere tractor serving as a backdrop, focused heavily on concerns unique to rural America. Chief among them were rising fertilizer and energy costs, both of which have increased as instability in the Middle East has affected global markets.
Trump assured farmers that the situation would improve soon.
“We’re going to come out of Iran very quickly,” he said. “One way or the other.”
The president repeatedly predicted that fertilizer and fuel costs would fall dramatically within ninety days.
“We’re going to come out, and your fertilizer prices are going to go way down, just like they were four months ago,” he said.
“I told Ken, ninety days, watch what happens. You could be better than you were four months ago.”
Trump argued that recent increases were temporary and directly tied to the military conflict.
“Over the last couple of months since we went in for the military operation, you’ve seen fertilizer go up and you’ve seen the energy go up,” he said.
“It’s going to come down to where it was, or lower.”
“You’ll be very happy.”
Several farmers participating in the discussion credited administration policies with helping their businesses, citing issues ranging from dairy production to family farm succession planning.
Trump also touted broader economic indicators, including stock market performance. Although markets pulled back somewhat following the jobs report as investors reassessed the likelihood of Federal Reserve rate cuts, major indexes remain near historic highs.
“Your 401(k)s, as you know, just hit a record high,” Trump told the crowd.
He also pointed to artificial intelligence investment and manufacturing expansion as signs that the United States remains economically competitive.
“We’re leading China by a lot in the AI race,” he said.
The president hinted that additional assistance could be made available to farmers if necessary, referencing aid programs from his first term.
“What happened to you is artificial with the energy and with the fertilizer,” Trump said. “So we’re looking at something.”
He quickly added that he expects prices to fall before such measures become necessary.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins echoed the president’s optimism, predicting that American agriculture would see record export numbers as the administration continues pursuing trade agreements and market access abroad.
“We are going to break every record for dairy, for tree nuts, for corn, for ethanol,” Rollins said.
Still, Trump’s economic message faces political challenges. While the administration points to strong employment growth and rising markets, public polling continues to show widespread concern about inflation and household costs.
The president acknowledged those concerns but argued that conditions would improve and urged voters to stay with Republican candidates.
As the event concluded, Trump mixed economic optimism with campaign rhetoric, warning that Democrats would produce worse results and portraying the upcoming elections as a choice between competing economic visions.
