See Trump admire gold tractor parked on White House lawn
A gold tractor was parked on the South Lawn of the White House during President Trump’s remarks on providing relief to farmers.
President Donald Trump broke off his remarks on cutting farmers’ costs Friday, March 27 to admire a massive gold tractor on the White House lawn, as he called on agricultural companies to lower equipment prices.
Speaking from a balcony overlooking the South Lawn,Trump addressed hundreds of farmers, ranchers and executives as he urged tractor and equipment makers to reduce costs and announced expanded government-backed loans for agriculture businesses. He stopped mid-speech take in the gleaming machinery below.
“A beautiful tractor … a gold tractor,” the president said. “Somebody had me in mind. What’s that all about?”
The tractor was a gold-wrapped Fendt 1167 Vario track model made by AGCO, according to a company statement. It was signed by several Cabinet members and governors, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Two other tractors were also on display: a Magnum wrapped in the colors of the American flag and a green John Deere.
“That’s a good one, too — red, white and blue,” Trump said, before returning his attention to the gold Fendt. “Do you mind if I step over here and just look at that tractor for a second? Because I assume it’s a gift to me.”
During the event, Trump announced an enhanced Small Business Administration loan guarantee program for agriculture-related small businesses, increasing the federal guarantee from 75% to 90%.
The remarks came months after Trump rolled out a $12 billion federal assistance package for farmers. Since then, the Iran war has added pressure to an agriculture industry already strained by tariffs, driving up fuel and fertilizer costs.
USA TODAY’s Zac Anderson, Francesca Chambers, Bart Jansen and Reuters contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
