West Virginia is likely one of the Trumpiest states within the nation, with President Donald Trump profitable the state by a whopping 42 share factors within the 2024 election. So that you’d assume—having delivered for Trump so huge—that they’d be profitable all kinds of victories.
And but …
In line with the Des Moines Register, Trump’s plan to revive shipbuilding in the US by charging huge 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 battle to seek out ships to ship items overseas.
Consequently, West Virginia coal mines are getting 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, allowing other Countries, in particular China, to gain tremendous Economic advantage over us by opening up hundreds of all Coal Fire Power Plants, I am authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL,” he posted on Fact Social simply earlier this week.
Regardless of what Trump says, coal is a useless trade, and he’s doing his half to drive the ultimate nail in its coffin.
“Enacting and implementing those fees could halt exports of U.S. coal within 60 days, putting $130 billion worth of shipments at risk,” Ernie Thrasher, CEO and founding father of Xcoal Vitality & Sources, wrote in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “The fee structure could add up to 35% to the delivered cost of U.S. coal, making it uncompetitive on the global market. The loss of direct and indirect jobs would 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 understanding that trans athletes are being punished.
So what concerning the state’s different industries—and its kids?
As NBC experiences:
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 realized that funding for a U.S. Agriculture Division program that helps faculties and meals banks purchase merchandise from native farmers like her had been minimize. With out these federal {dollars}, Gilkerson not expects native faculties to have the ability to purchase her freeze-dried fruits, which she has already spent 1000’s of {dollars} getting ready to provide.
“We’re just in such a state of shock. We just don’t really even know how to respond to all this. We thought that this was sacred and really untouchable,” Gilkerson stated. “Everyone thinks all farmers voted for this, but we did not vote for this.”
The varsity and meals financial institution program isn’t being minimize due to “political fights” in Washington D.C. It’s actually central to the GOP agenda. A combat implies that this system obtained minimize due to partisan warfare. This can be a coverage resolution.
And sure, Jennifer, your state voted precisely for this—y’all simply thought different folks would endure 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 overall goal should be to eliminate 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.
Frequent sense ought to dictate that in case your state is the third most dependent on federal {dollars} it is best to perhaps vote for the celebration that helps federal funding. I do know, I do know, trans this and trans that. However is destroying your total financial system well worth the sacrifice for that bigotry?
“This is the economy of rural America. West Virginia is a wholly rural state, and so developing this agriculture economy in the state is extremely important. These farmers pay their property taxes, they’re business owners, a lot of times they’re commissioners or school board members. These are the drivers that keep rural communities alive. So it feels like a divestment in rural communities across the board,” Spencer Moss, government director of the West Virginia Meals and Farm Coalition, advised NBC.
It’s referred to as the “Department of Government Efficiency,” 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 of us are subsidizing it. However we liberal voters have been tremendous 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 web would have their backs, boy they’re in for some disappointment.
In line with Politico, the Agriculture Division has halted hundreds of thousands 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, stated it’s “really challenging” to satisfy West Virginia’s wants.
“We can try to figure out how to make up the gaps, which is a hard lift, or ultimately there’s less food on the table,” he stated.
States like West Virginia will likely be significantly hit by cuts to highschool 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, virtually three-quarters of the state determined that wasn’t essential sufficient to guard with their vote. And Trump definitely doesn’t care about leaving his supporters with out well being care.
Nonetheless, you’d assume that the state’s overwhelming help for Trump would by some means translate into some tangible victories, however the information is grim. Trump is extra excited 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}. Tons 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 just want your vote. I don’t care.”
And he proves that each single day.
