President Donald Trump’s efforts to lower beef prices has divided top administration officials and some of his closest allies — prompting the White House to halt plans to temporarily reduce import tariffs, according to four people familiar with the talks.
The White House initially postponed Trump’s widely telegraphed plans for an executive order on beef imports last week to give officials more time to negotiate the scope before shelving it amid ongoing disagreements, according to four people who were granted anonymity to discuss private discussions.
The split highlights the dilemma the president faces in trying to balance consumers’ concerns about rising grocery prices with those of his supporters in the cattle industry. The average cost of ground beef on store shelves has increased by roughly 12 percent since last summer and more than 24 percent since Trump took office last year — a critical example of affordability pressures that have dogged Republicans in the lead-up to the midterms.
A senior White House official told POLITICO that the executive order is still “a work in progress.”
