News 167K views since yesterday

Kansas farmers weigh Trump's trade policies against rising costs

BBC News' Caitríona Perry hears agricultural hardship and political uncertainty in a Republican stronghold ahead of the midterms.

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BBC News Story of November 1, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of BBC News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 167,478 views.

Are farmers and ranchers turning on Trump in Kansas? | BBC News

Things we can learn from the video

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1:46Nick Levendofsky links rising farm costs and financial uncertainty to tariffs and trade disruption.
4:38Nicole Pfrang describes diesel costs and pressure from major meatpackers on cattle producers.
7:27Merrill Nielsen shows drought-damaged soybeans and explains the financial strain on his farm.
11:56Wichita rally footage shows Trump announcing a harvest fuel relief programme.
12:37Andrea Vieux explains why polling suggests Kansas's Senate contest has become competitive.
14:16Kansas City voters give differing answers on economic pressures, healthcare, immigration and political division.

Nick Levendofsky's election concerns start with machinery parts, fuel and fertiliser. "The big thing for us right now is just the cost of everything," the farmer and Kansas Farmers Union executive director tells BBC News.

Caitríona Perry's Kansas report asks whether financial pressure could loosen Republican loyalties in a state the party has long dominated. It adds voices from farms and cattle operations to the midterm battleground picture, before bringing voters together for a discussion in Kansas City.

Levendofsky attributes uncertainty to tariffs and disrupted trade. Rancher Nicole Pfrang describes higher diesel costs and pressure from major meatpackers. "It is, it's putting pressure on our way of life," she says.

Farmer Merrill Nielsen shows soybean crops damaged by drought and describes the financial toll, also discussing the consequences of cuts to foreign-aid programmes such as USAID. His assessment is stark: "'26 is probably the worst year we've ever had financially."

The report also carries Donald Trump's response: rally footage from Wichita in which the president announces a harvest fuel relief programme. Political scientist Andrea Vieux then explains why polling suggests a competitive Senate contest between Republican Roger Marshall and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, despite Kansas's partisan history.

The title's question does not produce a single answer from the voters Perry meets. In the focus group, concerns extend beyond agriculture to healthcare, housing, immigration and accountability. Small-business owner Patrick Allen argues for discussion across party lines, while former Republican city councillor Kevin Straub describes how political conversations can end friendships.

The BBC report gained about 167,000 views since yesterday. Its closing discussion returns to what those frustrations might mean at the ballot box, with Perry identifying turnout, disenchantment and reactions to policy as factors in the Kansas result.

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