However, weeks later, no money has gone out the door, even as Trump fast-tracks a $40 billion bailout of farmers and ranchers in Argentina, and the president is now starting to hear it from farm state Republicans.

Senior White House officials told the Washington Examiner that getting aid to farmers remains a “huge priority for [them],” but still could not provide even a rough deadline for when the program may actually launch. 

Throughout the shutdown, the Trump administration has used some creative accounting to ensure that certain programs and agencies remain funded. For example, just like with his farm aid proposal, Trump is using tariff revenue to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) operational.

But White House aides say that won’t work with a farm bailout, as Department of Agriculture staffers were not able to fully develop plans before the government shut down on October 1.

“Unlike, for instance, WIC or SNAP, this would have to be a new program that has to be conceptualized,” one aide explained. “The legal framework has to be pulled together, so conceptualized and then created and implemented, versus SNAP and WIC or military pay. Those systems are already in place. You’re just plugging in cash to disperse, versus setting up a new system, and the people who would do that are all furloughed.”

Furthermore, the White House simply can’t recall a small batch of federal employees to work on the new program. One White House official suggested that the effort would include “multiple teams” spanning multiple agencies, including at USDA and the Departments of Treasury and Commerce.

“Obviously, we’re going to get this out as soon as possible,” that person said when asked when farmers could expect to start seeing relief. “I think it’s hard for us to even make a prediction without the people there who could give us those predictions, but this is a huge priority for us. We’ll get it done as soon as we can.”

Still, once the Trump administration resumes its work on the program, it will likely be months before farmers gain access to these funds, with consumer food prices set to rise in the interim.

“Not only is market access a challenge with where we sell our goods, but we will start to see a spike in food prices,” Oscar Gonzales, a top USDA official during the Obama and Biden administrations, told Politico. “We’re starting to reach that precarious zone of not allowing farmers the tools, the commitments that they need to plan — it’s upon us already, to be honest. Farmers are going to need something.”

Republican lawmakers have sounded the alarm in talks with the White House and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins this week, according to persons familiar with those conversations.

Meanwhile, a growing number are actually publicly criticizing the administration for apparently prioritizing Argentine farmers over those in America. The criticism comes after Trump said the administration would import beef from Argentina to help tackle high costs. Rollins confirmed Tuesday that the Argentina plan was on the table, but said the imports “would not be very much.”

“If the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way,” Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “Nebraska’s ranchers cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them when they’re just getting ahead or simply breaking even. I strongly encourage the Trump administration to focus on trade deals that benefit our ag producers — not imports that will do more harm than good.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a normally staunch Trump ally, has called the president’s actions on the topic “a betrayal” of Trump’s political ethos.

When Merriwether Farms criticized Trump’s actions as “an absolute betrayal to the American cattle rancher,” Greene replied: “I’m hearing the same sentiment in my district.”

USDA officials additionally told the Washington Examiner that “the only thing delaying billions in disaster relief payments from reaching farmers are Democrats refusing to fund the government.”

CONSTRUCTION CREWS DEMOLISH WALL OF WHITE HOUSE EAST WING FOR BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION

“President Trump is the most pro-farmer President of our lifetime, and through his leadership, the administration is supporting farmers through unprecedented international market access, lowered taxes, and improvements to the farm safety net in the One Big Beautiful Bill,” a department spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Currently, the farm economy is in a difficult situation, and President Trump is utilizing all the tools available to ensure farmers have what they need to continue their farming operations. President Trump has made it clear he will not leave farmers behind, so USDA will continue to assess the farm economy and explore the need for further assistance; however, there is nothing new to share at this time.”