A member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet has sounded the alarm on a brewing trade war in a lengthy text message that was caught on camera.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been criticized from within the Trump administration over the financial bailout of Argentina and its consequences for American farmers.
A photo snapped by the AP’s Angelina Katsanis during last Tuesday’s United Nations General Assembly shows Bessent peering down at his phone to read a message from someone whose initials match those of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. And she wasn’t happy.
“We bailed out Argentina yesterday (Bessent) and in return, the Argentine’s removed their export tariffs on grains, reducing their price, and sold a bunch of soybeans to China, at a time when we would normally be selling to China. Soy prices dropping further because of it. This gives China more leverage on us,” Rollins wrote.
This photo shows the Treasury Secretary reading a text from the Agriculture Secretary.She’s worried China has outmaneuvered the US by buying up Argentine soybeans at the expense of our farmers, even as the Administration plans to bail out Argentina with billions of dollars. pic.twitter.com/yTAVU8hgFE
— Rohit Chopra (@ChopraUSA) September 29, 2025
Along with Rollins’ message was a link to grain trader Ben Scholl’s criticism of Bessent for pledging that “we stand ready to do what is needed to support Argentinan and the Argentine people.”
“China is up to 20 cargoes of Argentine soybeans while we are busy bailing out Argentina,” Scholl wrote. “They think you are stupid.”
China is up to 20 cargoes of Argentine soybeans while we are busy bailing out Argentina. They think you are stupid. https://t.co/CgFfvdVkw4
— Ben Scholl (@ottoscholl) September 24, 2025
Rollins’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did the Treasury Department.
Donald Trump, despite campaigning under the slogan “America First,” is set to give Argentina, whose right-wing president has overseen a flailing economy, a $20 billion lifeline. Shortly after that development last week, Argentina suspended its 26 percent export tax to facilitate soybean sales—but to China. Those moves, coupled with how Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports have caused China to largely look elsewhere for soybeans, haven’t hit well with many U.S. farmers.
The American Soybean Association called on Trump to make a deal with China on soybeans because “the farm economy is suffering.”
“The U.S. has made zero sales to China in this new crop marketing year due to 20% retaliatory tariffs imposed by China in response to U.S. tariffs,” ASA President Caleb Ragland said in a statement last week.
“This has allowed other exporters, Brazil and now Argentina, to capture our market at the direct expense of U.S. farmers. The frustration is overwhelming,” he went on. “U.S. soybean prices are falling, harvest is underway, and farmers read headlines not about securing a trade agreement with China, but that the U.S. government is extending $20 billion in economic support to Argentina while that country drops its soybean export taxes to sell 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans to China in just two days.”
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, echoed that sentiment—but did not criticize Trump by name.
“Farmers VERY upset abt Argentina selling soybeans to China right after USA bail out … farmers need markets 2 boost farm economy,” he wrote on X last Thursday.
“Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market??? We shld use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy Family farmers shld be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA,” Grassley added in a follow-up.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
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