President Demands Justice Department Action Against Meat Industry
Former President Donald Trump has launched a fierce attack on American meat packing companies, accusing them of illegally colluding to drive up beef prices and threatening national food security. In a Truth Social post on Friday, 7th November 2025, Trump declared he had ordered the Department of Justice to immediately investigate what he called "illicit collusion, price fixing, and price manipulation" within the industry.
Foreign Ownership and National Security Concerns
The president specifically targeted what he described as "Majority Foreign Owned Meat Packers", claiming these corporations were artificially inflating prices while American ranchers unfairly bore the blame. Trump asserted that these practices "jeopardize the security of our Nation's food supply" and demanded swift action to protect consumers and combat illegal monopolies.
This dramatic intervention comes just weeks after Trump faced significant criticism for proposing a controversial plan to import Argentine beef as a solution to high domestic prices. During an October 20th media briefing aboard Air Force One, the president had suggested that purchasing Argentine beef would "bring our beef prices down" while simultaneously supporting Argentina's beef sector ahead of their recent elections.
Agricultural Backlash and Political Fallout
The Argentine beef proposal met with immediate resistance from both the American beef industry and Republican senators representing cattle-producing states. Nebraska Senator Deb Fisher issued a strong statement opposing the plan, warning that "government intervention in the beef market will hurt our cattle ranchers" at a time when many were barely breaking even.
The political pressure became so intense that Vice President JD Vance reportedly faced repeated questioning about the Argentine deal during a Republican senators' lunch last week, eventually asking if anyone had questions not related to beef.
Multiple factors have contributed to persistently high beef prices, including drought conditions, reduced imports from Mexico due to cattle health issues, and tariffs Trump imposed on Brazilian beef imports. The Brazilian tariffs were implemented after that country's government imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, Trump's political ally, for attempting to remain in power following an election loss.
The Justice Department has not yet commented on whether it will proceed with the investigation ordered by President Trump, leaving both consumers and the agricultural industry awaiting further developments in this ongoing price dispute.
