Republicans have a rare beef with Trump over suggestion he'll import red meat

Republicans are publicly and privately pushing back on President Donald Trump’s idea of importing beef from Argentina.

WASHINGTON — Republicans on both sides of the Capitol are publicly and privately pushing back on President Donald Trump’s idea of importing beef from Argentina, with some making direct pleas to the White House to reverse course.

The issue came up during Senate Republicans' visit to the White House on Tuesday, according to Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. Fischer said she also met with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday to discuss her concerns.

“It came up,” Thune told reporters. “I represent a beef-producing state. We have four times as many cattle as people.”

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he is considering having the United States buy beef from Argentina. “We would buy some beef from Argentina,” he said, “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.”

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