South Pittsburg, Tennessee - 28 October 2020
1. Various of James Haskew petting bull
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2. SOUNDBITE (English) James Haskew, Tennessee Farm Bureau:
"Well, I voted for the current president."
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3. SOUNDBITE (English) James Haskew, Tennessee Farm Bureau:
"I've been farming about, oh, between 35, 40 years. There's been a time or two that I've wondered where my next dollar was coming from. And I can relate to some of the decisions he makes because some of those decisions are not based politically. They're based on good, sound business."
4. Various of James Haskew getting into tractor
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5. SOUNDBITE (English) James Haskew, Tennessee Farm Bureau:
"The market's become more erratic than normal. In fact, at one time in a course of a day, you'll see beans down 20 cents and then turn around and be up a penny. So the market's fluctuating very dramatically currently. And I don't know that that's trade or just the activity of the market."
6. Close of grain markets on James Haskew's phone
7. Various of James Haskew's soybean crop
8. Various of James Haskew's bulls
Eastaboga, Alabama - 29 October 2020
9. Aerial of Jimmy Hugh White's land ++MUTE++
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10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Hugh White, Alabama Farmers Federation:
"What is called a trade war needed to be done and although it was hard on a lot of people, especially the farmers, the farmers knew this was something that needed to be done. It's a slow process, but at least he has made an effort. We haven't had anyone that has made an effort in decades."
11. Various of Jimmy High White overlooking land
12. Cow grazing
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13. SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Hugh White, Alabama Farmers Federation:
"I will vote for Trump. I'll have to say, I don't like his Twitter account. I don't even like to hear him talk. But I look at his policies and his policies have been very important for the farmer and for the nation."
Mills River, North Carolina - 24 August 2020
14. STILL of President Donald Trump delivering remarks on the "Farmers to Families Food Box Program" at Flavor First Growers and Packers
South Pittsburg, Tennessee - 28 October 2020
15. Various of James Haskew's herd, calf feeding
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16. SOUNDBITE (English) James Haskew, Tennessee Farm Bureau:
"Well, I thought the 2016 election meant a lot, but I think this one is even more important. And this election will decide if the country will pull together and move on or if they will continue to divide."
17. Various of James Haskew driving Gator vehicle, dogs in truckbed
18. Close of sticker James Haskew received after voting
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4295521
For farmer James Haskew, the decision to cast his ballot for President Donald Trump was an easy one.
Haskew, 58, says the president's administration has finally recognized that farming and agriculture are important to the country.
A lifelong corn, soybean and cattle farmer, Haskew added he likes that Trump is a businessman – not a politician.
"I've had to work and pay my way," he said. "I can relate to some of the decisions he makes because some of the decisions are not based politically, they're based on good sound business."
In what became his defining economic act, Trump launched a trade war with China in 2018.
He did it in his typically combative, mercurial style — raising tariffs, hurling threats, walking them back, sometimes reopening conflicts that had seemed resolved.
All of it came wrapped in a singular message, delivered with a Trumpian roar: America had too long been exploited by horrendous deals forged by his predecessors.
From now on, he proclaimed, America would come first, its trading partners a distant second.
That message resonated with Jimmy Hugh White, a 69-year-old farmer in Eastaboga, Alabama.
"What is called a trade war, needed to be done," he said. "Although it was hard on a lot of people, especially the farmers, the farmers knew this is something that needed to be done."
White says the process is a slow one, but he likes that the president is trying to tackle a problem.
"At least he has made an effort," he said. "We haven't had anyone that has made an effort in decades."
White says he isn't a fan of the way Trump tweets or boasts, but can overlook those aspects of his presidency to support his reelection.
"I'll have to say I don't like his Twitter account. I don't even like to hear him talk," he said. "But I look at his policies and his policies have been very important for the farmer and for the nation."
