Trump’s tariff-free beef gambit could test his standing with Texas ranchers
President Trump announced Friday that the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported tariff-free for the next 90 days, with a commitment that the meat be sold 25% below current market prices. The move comes after average ground beef prices hit $6.89 per pound in July 2026, up from $6.25 a year earlier and just $4.39 in 2021.
U.S. average ground beef price per pound
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| Jul 2021 | $4.39 |
| Jan 2025 | $5.55 |
| Jul 2025 | $6.25 |
| Jul 2026 | $6.89 |
For Texas — the nation’s top cattle state with roughly 12 million head, nearly double any other state — the stakes are enormous.
Beef is an $8.4 billion industry in Texas, topping every other agricultural commodity produced there, and most Texas cattle operations are small, family-run outfits, with 73% of herds under 500 head. Those are exactly the producers most exposed to a sudden wave of cheap imports undercutting cattle prices.
The backlash was immediate and bipartisan within the GOP.
Ranchers and Republican lawmakers warned the plan amounts to a gift to meatpackers who can undercut American producers, while Sen. Tim Sheehy (R- Montana) said Trump’s “heart is in the right place” but that importing beef will harm ranching families. Sen. Deb Fischer (R- Nebraska) added that flooding the market with foreign beef undermines the real fix: growing the U.S. herd.
Industry groups noted the irony: Last year, the U.S. beef cow herd hit its smallest July inventory since 1973, largely due to drought — precisely the kind of stress Texas ranchers know well.
President Trump has been losing ground with rural voters since his second term began, and this fight is landing squarely ahead of a midterm election where grocery prices are a top voter concern. Texas Republicans have long relied on rural, ag-heavy counties as reliable strongholds.
Whether cheaper hamburger meat at the store outweighs anger from ranching communities may hinge on how visibly cattle prices fall in the coming months — and whether Texas producers feel like collateral damage in a play for lower grocery bills nationwide.
Sources:
- Fox Business
- ABC News
- CNBC
- The Hill
- Roll Call
- Newsweek
- AgWired
- Farm Progress
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- USDA
Following public criticism from U.S. Rep. Greg Casar over the detention of a 5-year-old boy in Austin, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed it has identified the child’s father as Victor Martinez Nieto. In a statement to CBS Austin on Friday, a DHS spokesperson said ICE officers arrested Martinez Nieto during an August 16 traffic stop and confirmed that the father and son will stay together in federal immigration custody while awaiting removal.
ICE activity was reported Friday morning in Loyola and also in Dessau.
Reporte Austin noted only immigration agents were involved with the arrests, no Texas DPS troopers.
Meanwhile, a new report from the Texas Restaurant Association shows businesses are losing workers, struggling to hire and in some cases, seeing fewer customers due to immigration enforcement.
San Marcos police took 49 stolen vehicle reports in May, June, and July this year. That is one more than during that same time period last year. (FOX 7 Austin)
Austin Police have released a list of the top ten stolen vehicles in the city last month.
Austin Energy said multiple businesses remain without power after someone stole copper service conductors.
Lago Vista residents may hear gunfire today but it’s part of a training exercise.
This fire occurred late Friday afternoon in East Austin.
Parents of Hays CISD students say their kids were seated in aisles and crowded into bus seats. The district says it has added capacity and is reviewing the full video.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett promoted an opinion piece in the Austin-American-Statesman from an Austin ISD parent on that district’s problems and the underfunding of education in Texas.
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, is moving closer to building a $674 million industrial research facility in Hutto which could become the city’s largest employer.
Austin could soon be home to more film and television productions as a major Hollywood studio eyes Texas for a potential move. (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin’s 36th annual LGBTQ+ Pride celebration is tonight. There’s a festival during the day at Fiesta Gardens, then a parade downtown Austin starting at 8 p.m.
Austin Parks & Recreation announced two area boat ramps will be temporarily closed in parts of October and November due to the City of Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority drawing down Lake Austin between Mansfield Dam and Tom Miller Dam during the period.
WEATHER
FRIDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Small wildfires were reported Friday in Atascosa and Bexar counties.
Two wildfires are burning in North Texas.
State Sen. Cesar Blanco (D-El Paso) spoke with KXAN-TV. He emphasized that while border security is important, constructing walls or permanent barriers in Big Bend threatens the park’s sensitive habitat, wildlife, and natural beauty
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has escalated his challenge against religious washing facilities at George Bush Intercontinental and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airports, officially requesting a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.
Announced Friday, the referral alleges that the ablution stations offer preferential treatment to Muslim passengers and constitute unlawful religious discrimination.
The guys discuss a busy week in Texas politics that included MAGA Inc. showing its hand, Lt. Gov. Patrick giving Richie porn, and two weedy-but-important topics discussed in committee hearings.
With Texans furious about a THC ban, rising costs for everything, data centers, transmission lines, and Big Bend border wall construction of course Little Gov. Dan Patrick is spending his time railing about “filthy books” in school libraries. But it’s not just a distraction. He’s also trying to make it easier for the state to take over local school districts.
Plus, Harvey and James get into the way data centers are reshaping the political landscape and Speaker Dustin Burrows is asked whether he understands why conservatives don’t like the way he was elected with support from Democrats.
We’ll also travel to Far West Texas and check in with Travis Bubenik at Marfa Public Radio for the real scoop on what’s happening in Big Bend.
(Episode from August 21, 2026)
Is the Republican nominee for Senate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, exceptionally corrupt? One group is calling out Paxton’s alleged history of abusing his office.
And the fight in Texas over transmission powerlines cutting through rural areas.
(Episode from August 21, 2026)
The mayor of La Marque, Texas, has been arrested on charges of indecent exposure.
New evidence was shown Friday during the appeal hearing of Karmelo Anthony‘s murder conviction.
A Katy police officer is accused of using the Flock license plate-reading camera system to track his ex-partner. Internal investigation documents reveal he performed 2,386 searches on her vehicle over an 11-month period.
SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith is no longer part of the Texas Longhorns football program.
14 DAYS UNTIL TEXAS FOOTBALL
MLS: After earning a road win in Seattle, Austin FC returns home to Q2 Stadium in search of another three points against Philadelphia Union tonight. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT. (Austin FC)
NFL: The Dallas Cowboys travel to Glendale tonight to face the Arizona Cardinals in their second preseason matchup of the 2026 exhibition schedule. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 PM CDT at State Farm Stadium. (Dallas Cowboys)
MLB: The Houston Astros keep their thin one-game AL West lead over the Texas Rangers after both teams scored victories Friday night.
Yordan Alvarez doubled twice and drove in two runs to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-0 victory over the Athletics on Friday night.
The AL West leaders bounced back after an embarrassing 18-3 loss to the Angels on Thursday night behind the strong game from Alvarez, who leads the American League in batting average (.321), home runs (36) and RBIs (90). (Associated Press via MSN)
Wyatt Langford had a tying RBI double in the 10th inning, then scored the winning run on third baseman Denzer Guzman’s throwing error as the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Friday night. (Associated Press)
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Away |
| Houston Astros | 65 | 64 | .504 | — | 33–33 | 32–31 |
| Texas Rangers | 64 | 65 | .496 | 1.0 | 35–28 | 29–37 |
| Seattle Mariners | 61 | 68 | .473 | 4.0 | 34–29 | 27–39 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 51 | 78 | .395 | 14.0 | 29–36 | 22–42 |
| Athletics | 49 | 80 | .380 | 16.0 | 23–40 | 26–40 |
The division race remains tight at the top, with the Astros holding a slim 1-game cushion over the Rangers.
A “Bird City” in Texas is a community certified through Bird City Texas, a joint program run by Audubon Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It recognizes towns and cities that protect birds and their natural homes.
