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2020 candidate Tim Ryan: China tariffs are hammering U.S. farmers

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) speaks during the North American Building Trades Unions Conference at the Washington Hilton April 10, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Democratic presidential candidate Tim Ryan. Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) told a CNN town hall Sunday "our farmers are getting hammered" because of President Trump's tariffs on China.

"Trump does not have a big strategy. He has a tactic that gets him on TV because he sends a tweet out — tariffs are on, tariffs are off — and the media runs with it all the time and it changes the subject and he can look tough. We're getting our clock cleaned."

Why it matters: The trade war has been crippling for U.S. farmers. In April, it was reported the personal income of farmers in the United States had fallen by an annualized $11.8 billion between January and March — the biggest 1st quarter drop in 3 years.

The big picture: At the town hall, Ryan said the time's now right to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump, in light of former special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation findings and comments.

  • Ryan discussed a range of other issues, such as changing the approach to tackling climate change so it's viewed as a "jobs program." He said he was against the Democratic 2020 ticket being an all-white, all-male affair, and he addressed the issue of gun violence in the United States.

Go deeper: Tim Ryan on the issues, in under 500 words

Tim Ryan (politician)