South Dakota governor lambasts Trump’s beef import plan amid election debate

During a televised debate on the Freedom Stage at the South Dakota State Fair, Gov. Larry Rhoden criticized President Donald Trump’s recent announcement to pause tariffs on imported beef, labeling the rationale as misguided. He said he would ask Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to establish an advisory committee so that future policies are better informed. Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers also condemned the beef-import plan, arguing that South Dakota must more forcefully defend its ranchers and press the state’s congressional delegation for action.

The candidates sparred over economic-development priorities, with Ahlers claiming the governor’s office favors out-of-state firms, while Rhoden highlighted recent projects such as the Smithfield pork plant relocation, CJ Schwan’s new food-production facility, and a soybean crushing plant in Mitchell. They also debated a ballot measure that would allow the state to drop expanded Medicaid if federal funding falls below 90%, and disagreed on whether to keep the merged Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources or restore a separate agriculture department.