West Virginia is without doubt one of the Trumpiest states within the nation, with President Donald Trump successful the state by a whopping 42 proportion factors within the 2024 election. So that you’d suppose—having delivered for Trump so huge—that they’d be successful all kinds of victories.
And but …
In accordance with the Des Moines Register, Trump’s plan to revive shipbuilding in the USA by charging large charges for China-linked ship visits to U.S. ports is inflicting coal stock to swell, stoking uncertainty within the already embattled agriculture trade as exporters wrestle to seek out ships to ship items overseas.
In consequence, West Virginia coal mines are making ready to put off miners as unsold coal piles up.
However, however, however … Trump loves coal miners!
“After years of being held captive by Environmental Extremists, Lunatics, Radicals, and Thugs, permitting different International locations, specifically China, to achieve great Financial benefit over us by opening up a whole bunch of all Coal Hearth Energy Vegetation, I’m authorizing my Administration to right away start producing Vitality with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL,” he posted on Fact Social simply earlier this week.
Regardless of what Trump says, coal is a lifeless trade, and he’s doing his half to drive the ultimate nail in its coffin.
“Enacting and implementing these charges might halt exports of U.S. coal inside 60 days, placing $130 billion value of shipments in danger,” Ernie Thrasher, CEO and founding father of Xcoal Vitality & Assets, wrote in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “The charge construction might add as much as 35% to the delivered value of U.S. coal, making it uncompetitive on the worldwide market. The lack of direct and oblique jobs could be catastrophic.”
Lutnick by no means responded.
There are fewer than 12,000 coal miners left in West Virginia, so … that sucks for them! However all of these newly unemployed miners can console themselves realizing that trans athletes are being punished.
So what in regards to the state’s different industries—and its youngsters?
As NBC stories:
Jennifer Gilkerson by no means imagined that her West Virginia farm’s freeze-dried fruits would get caught up in political fights in Washington, D.C.
However final Friday, she discovered that funding for a U.S. Agriculture Division program that helps faculties and meals banks purchase merchandise from native farmers like her had been lower. With out these federal {dollars}, Gilkerson now not expects native faculties to have the ability to purchase her freeze-dried fruits, which she has already spent 1000’s of {dollars} making ready to provide.
“We’re simply in such a state of shock. We simply don’t actually even understand how to reply to all this. We thought that this was sacred and actually untouchable,” Gilkerson mentioned. “Everybody thinks all farmers voted for this, however we didn’t vote for this.”
The varsity and meals financial institution program isn’t being lower due to “political fights” in Washington D.C. It’s actually central to the GOP agenda. A battle implies that this system bought lower due to partisan warfare. This can be a coverage determination.
And sure, Jennifer, your state voted precisely for this—y’all simply thought different folks would undergo the brunt of it. However Mission 2025 was very clear in its objective to slash all authorities spending—together with the federal {dollars} that subsidize West Virginia.
“The general objective needs to be to eradicate subsidy dependence,” Mission 2025 says.
So sure, Jennifer. I don’t know who you voted for, however your fellow West Virginians overwhelmingly voted for this.
Widespread sense ought to dictate that in case your state is the third most dependent on federal {dollars} it’s best to possibly vote for the social gathering that helps federal funding. I do know, I do know, trans this and trans that. However is destroying your complete financial system definitely worth the sacrifice for that bigotry?
“That is the financial system of rural America. West Virginia is a completely rural state, and so growing this agriculture financial system within the state is extraordinarily necessary. These farmers pay their property taxes, they’re enterprise homeowners, lots of instances they’re commissioners or faculty board members. These are the drivers that preserve rural communities alive. So it looks like a divestment in rural communities throughout the board,” Spencer Moss, government director of the West Virginia Meals and Farm Coalition, instructed NBC.
It’s referred to as the “Division of Authorities Effectivity,” and it seems that subsidizing small, rural states is not environment friendly. These farmers aren’t paying sufficient in property taxes to cowl bills, which is why city and blue-state people are subsidizing it. However we liberal voters have been nice with paying these subsidies as a result of we’re all American, and we’re all on this collectively!
But when West Virginians thought the federal security internet would have their backs, boy they’re in for some disappointment.
In accordance with Politico, the Agriculture Division has halted tens of millions of {dollars} value of deliveries to meals financial institution leaders in six states, together with West Virginia.
Chad Morrison, president of West Virginia’s Mountaineer Meals Financial institution, mentioned it’s “actually difficult” to fulfill West Virginia’s wants.
“We will attempt to determine the best way to make up the gaps, which is a tough raise, or in the end there’s much less meals on the desk,” he mentioned.
States like West Virginia can be notably hit by cuts to high school lunches, meals stamps, and different packages that ship meals to the hungry.
As for well being care, West Virginia has 1.77 million residents, and greater than 516,000 of them are on Medicaid, which additionally retains the state’s rural hospitals afloat.
However hey, nearly three-quarters of the state determined that wasn’t necessary sufficient to guard with their vote. And Trump actually doesn’t care about leaving his supporters with out well being care.
Nonetheless, you’d suppose that the state’s overwhelming help for Trump would one way or the other translate into some tangible victories, however the information is grim. Trump is extra curious about hawking costly vehicles for his billionaire buddy Elon Musk, hyping crypto for his bros, fantasizing about ethnically cleansing Gaza, obsessing over Greenland, and {golfing}. Heaps and many {golfing}.
As for his voters, they actually shouldn’t be stunned. In any case, he did say, “I don’t care about you, I simply need your vote. I don’t care.”
And he proves that each single day.
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