Donald Trump asks whether producers “would do a very good job” of beef processing with fewer rules

President Trump said Friday he is directing legal work to allow agricultural producers to handle their own meat processing, a move he described on Truth Social as a challenge to a small cluster of major meatpackers. The announcement came after conservative host Glenn Beck urged Trump to relax rules; CNN reported that Trump asked whether producers could take on processing duties themselves with less oversight, and Beck said yes. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said steps would be announced Monday, including easing administrative requirements and expanding producers’ ability to sell across state lines. The plan follows criticism from ranchers and congressional Republicans over a proposal to bring in 300,000 metric tons of foreign ground beef without tariffs over 90 days. Rep. Thomas Massie dismissed it, saying producers can already process meat but cannot sell it by the cut.