Trump Reveals Real Cause Of Rising Beef Prices
The Trump administration is warning Americans about a growing crisis at the grocery store: skyrocketing beef prices driven by what officials describe as the Biden administration’s “war on cattle” and unchecked illegal immigration that has destabilized the food supply. For seniors, families, and fixed-income households already stretched thin, the spike in beef costs has become one more painful reminder of how quickly everyday essentials have become unaffordable under President Biden.
Historic Beef Prices Reach Levels Not Seen in Over 40 Years
According to the latest federal retail data, the average price for a pound of ground beef has surged to $6.32, an 11.4% increase from last year and the highest price point in more than four decades. Steaks have climbed even higher, hitting $12.62 per pound, up 12.7% year-over-year.
These increases did not happen overnight. Beef prices began creeping upward during the Obama years, stabilized when President Donald Trump was in office, and then skyrocketed once Biden took over, as inflation, regulatory pressure, and supply disruptions hammered American ranchers.
Today, the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to a 70-year low, driven by severe drought conditions, rising feed and fuel costs, and federal environmental policies that discourage herd expansion.
Trump Officials: Biden Launched a “War on Cattle” in the Name of Climate Politics
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Fox Business that the crisis is no accident — she argues it’s a direct outcome of Biden’s climate agenda.
“We’re suffering from the last administration’s literal war on cattle,” Rollins said. “They openly pushed to shrink herds because they claim cattle contribute to climate change.”
Rollins said the shrinking herd collided with an 8% rise in protein and beef demand, creating a punishing supply-and-demand imbalance that consumers now feel every time they visit the meat aisle.
Illegal Immigration Linked to Livestock Disease Surge
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added another alarming factor: the impact of illegal immigration on livestock health and the national beef supply.
Bessent said that migrants entering through the southern border brought livestock and animals carrying diseases once eradicated in North America. This forced the Trump administration to temporarily stop beef imports from Mexico, America’s second-largest foreign supplier.
“Because of mass immigration, a disease we eliminated decades ago made its way back,” Bessent explained. “Migrants brought cattle with them, and it spread.”
He said the administration is “laser-focused” on reversing the damage and stabilizing the market.
Fears of $10-per-Pound Beef — and Trump’s Plan to Stop It
Industry leaders, including Omaha Steaks CEO Nate Rempe, have warned that if herd sizes keep shrinking, beef could hit $10 per pound by late 2026.
Rollins pushed back, saying President Trump already has a recovery plan in motion to protect consumers.
She announced the administration is:
- Opening 5 million acres of new grazing land
- Reopening critical cattle ports
- Expanding ranching capacity nationwide
Rollins said these steps should begin lowering prices by next spring, with further relief expected through the summer and fall.
“The president is hyper-focused,” she said. “Our models show prices dropping next year, not rising.”
Trump Signs Executive Order to Bring Prices Down Faster
On Friday, President Trump signed a major executive order reducing tariffs on key imports — including beef, coffee, and tropical fruits — to relieve pressure on American consumers struggling with Biden-era food inflation.
Earlier in the month, Trump also directed the Department of Justice to investigate whether large meatpacking companies are manipulating prices through illegal or anti-competitive practices.
