SMITHTON, Pa. — Former President Donald Trump said Monday that his first call from the Oval Office will be to Chinese President Xi Jinping, demanding that the country honor a previously concluded $50 billion agricultural agreement.
“My first call will be to President Xi Jinping and I'm going to say, 'We need to honor the agreement,'” Trump said at a roundtable with farmers during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania.
“We agreed: 'You're going to buy $50 billion worth of American agricultural products.' I guarantee you he'll buy it. 100 percent,” Trump added.
He said the former president reached an agreement with China on U.S.-China tariff negotiations during his first term in office, including an agreement for Xi to buy $50 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products.
Trump said China is currently “not living up to those expectations.”
Trump also slammed the Harris-Biden administration for how it has handled relations with China during its term, saying he would instruct Xi to crack down on fentanyl leaking from China and crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The next thing I'm going to say is, 'We must have the death penalty for fentanyl dealers who are trafficking fentanyl,'” Trump continued.
The roundtable with Pennsylvania farmers was aimed at persuading voters in the key battleground state that President Trump would do more for farmers than Vice President Kamala Harris.
Both candidates running in 2024 are aggressively attacking the Keystone State in an effort to woo voters to their side, as a win there would be a major victory in the battle for the 270 electoral votes needed.
Trump also endorsed Republican Senate candidate David McCormick, who is running against Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania).
Trump said McCormick “will help us make farmers rich again.”
Trump said he would fight Chinese buyups of American farmland, touted his policies to eliminate inheritance taxes and protect fracking.
Trump also announced that he would impose a 200% tariff on tractor maker John Deere if the company decides to move its manufacturing operations to Mexico as planned.
“I'm putting John Deere on notice now: if they do, I will impose a 200% tariff on any products they want to sell into the United States,” Trump said, arguing that if the company relocates to Mexico, it will hurt farmers.
Participants in the Pennsylvania roundtable told The Washington Post they largely agreed with Trump's focus on China.
Fayette County Farm Bureau Director Darrell Becker said the U.S. “cannot ignore China” because “China is the biggest threat in the world and they are trying to replace the United States.”
Eric D'Avanzo, who represents Pennsylvania's 58th Congressional District, agreed that China “should be at the top” of Trump's list of countries to visit.
“I think that should definitely be his first call,” D'Avanzo said, arguing that the U.S. should negotiate with China before relations become “wildfire.”
