Finstad backed Trump tariffs as Minnesota farmers paid the price

Rep. Brad Finstad applauded President Donald Trump’s tariff policy even as it had a devastating effect on Minnesota farmers.

Last year, the White House imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from most countries, triggering a sharp rise in fertilizer and machinery costs. These prices have remained stubbornly high even after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down those tariffs in February.

Matt Purfeerst, a fifth-generation farmer from Finstad’s district, experienced this pain firsthand. He told the Guardian in October 2025 that Trump’s tariffs had created volatility in the soybean market, making it “extremely challenging” for family farms like his to thrive.

The outlook has only gotten worse. Ryan Mackenthun, vice president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, told KSTP in March that “farmers might not be able to survive this for too long.” CBS News reported the following month that some Minnesota farmers were skipping planting season to save money.

Fertilizer costs have also been exacerbated by shipping disruptions caused by the war in Iran.

In April 2025, mere weeks after the tariffs were first imposed, an interviewer pressed Finstad about their potential impact on fertilizer prices. He said he was hopeful that any short-term challenges would be temporary.

“In the short term, there’s a lot of uneasiness and unknowns,” he said. “That is tough to navigate, but it’s my hope we’ll come through this with better trade partners.”

Finstad continued making this argument, even after the economic effects set in. In an August 2025 meeting with small business owners, he acknowledged that Trump’s tariff policy was creating “disruption and uncertainty” in the economy, but also said it fit perfectly with Trump’s role as “the ultimate disruptor in chief.”

“There’s a certain amount of resetting the depth that’s happening, and that has caused short-term uncertainty,” Finstad said. “I completely am sympathetic and aware, because we all feel and see it.”

Finstad made similar remarks a few months later. He told a roundtable of community leaders from his district that the tariffs had created “uncertainties in the marketplace” but were also “getting people to the table” to make better trade deals.

Finstad kept insisting this was the reality into the new year.

“The big lever of tariffs that the president pulled created a little bit of instability and uncertainty in the short term,” he told the Made in Minnesota podcast in February. “But what it did is it brought people to the table and we’re seeing opportunities we haven’t seen before.”

Finstad has cast multiple votes in the House to protect Trump’s tariffs. He also voted against a resolution to end the Iran war.

Finstad is running for a third term this year. His Democratic challenger will be chosen in an Aug. 11 primary.