Trump warns voters in Iowa that Biden will 'destroy your farms'

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Iowa farmers split between voting President Trump and Joe Biden

It’s a tight race in the key battleground state of Iowa between President Trump and Joe Biden.

President Trump warned Sunday that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would “unleash economic misery” on Iowa during an appeal to farmers and cattle ranchers in the key state ahead of Election Day.

The president said his administration has “opened new markets for Iowa farmers and ranchers” during a speech at Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa. Trump said his hard-line stance on trade during negotiations with China forced Beijing to make record purchases of goods such as corn, soybeans, and beef.

“If Biden and Harris, the radical left, gain power, they will crash the economy, destroy your farms, and all of the things I got you, like the estate tax -- that's going to be ended,” Trump said at the event.

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Throughout the 2020 campaign, Trump has argued that Biden’s tax policies and approach to the coronavirus pandemic would cause the stock market to plummet and hurt American workers. He also has accused his opponent of having problematic ties to China through his son, Hunter Biden, who has faced scrutiny in recent weeks for his dealings with a now-bankrupt Chinese energy firm.

Trump also touted his $28 billion bailout package for farmers impacted by the trade war with China.

“We took $28 billion and we gave it to the farmers,” Trump said. “That’s why you’re all here and that’s why you’re all happy, because no other president would have ever done that.”

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Biden has argued the Trump administration’s trade stance toward China has hurt, not helped, Iowa farmers.

“Let’s not forget how Donald Trump’s weak and chaotic China trade policies have cost farmers and manufacturing so badly,” Biden said during a rally in Iowa last Friday. “Agricultural exports during the Trump years have been 40 percent lower than during the Obama-Biden second term.”

The former vice president has touted a “Plan for Rural America” that includes increased funding for the Department of Agriculture, financial support for beginning farmers and investments in new agricultural technologies. Biden also plans to work with farmers as part of his plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Trump brought a number of his current and former advisers on stage during his Iowa event, including his daughter Ivanka and White House communications official Hope Hicks. He also touted Sen. Joni Ernst’s contributions to Iowa and called on voters to support the Republican lawmaker's reelection bid during a tough race against Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield.

An average of recent polls compiled by Real Clear Politics shows Trump with a slight edge over Biden in Iowa.