- BIG STORY: Trump’s 90-day beef fix meets a years-long cattle problem
- ROUNDUP: Beasley wants Americans to break bread to heal
- LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: Rubber stamp
- BRACK: Republicans have slight edge in odd race for U.S. Senate
- MY TURN, Saul: When did decency become a luxury?
- MYSTERY PHOTO: Convivial setting
- FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
Trump’s 90-day beef fix meets a years-long cattle problem
By Jack O’Toole, Statehouse Bureau | With the nation’s midterm elections only two months away, President Donald Trump wants hamburger prices down by election day — a goal he’s willing to pursue by allowing an additional 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef into the country over the next 90 days.
And America’s ranchers — including many here in South Carolina — aren’t happy about it.
Trump explained the idea as he boarded Air Force One last week on his way to campaign for U.S. Sen. Darline Graham in Myrtle Beach.
“We want to get the beef prices down, so we’ll get them down a little bit, and, uh, that’s what people want, that’s what the voters want, and that’s what I want,” Trump told reporters on Aug. 21. “They [the ranchers] have done a fantastic job, but they admit that we need a little help in order to get the prices down.”
But S.C. Farm Bureau President Harry Ott didn’t sound like his members needed that kind of help when he responded the next day.
“S.C. Farm Bureau is disappointed by proposals to increase foreign beef imports at a time when America’s cattle producers are working hard to meet consumer demand,” Ott said in a statement posted to social media. “We support efforts to keep food affordable, but those efforts should strengthen, not undermine, American farmers and ranchers.”
He added, “A strong domestic cattle industry is essential to our food security, rural economy and long-term supply of safe, high-quality beef.”
The S.C. Department of Agriculture did not reply to an Aug. 24 request for comment regarding Ott’s concerns. In a brief exchange, Ott didn’t say anything much different than the statement.
The ‘perfect storm’ that produced $7 ground beef
Like most stories about high prices, this one starts in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 when America’s cattle herd peaked at about 95 million head — more than enough to keep prices affordable.
But then, as Clemson agricultural economist Matthew Fischer describes it, a “perfect storm” struck the industry, throwing supply and demand out of balance in a way that’s still driving prices up to this day.
First, the normal cycle of cattle-herd growth and contraction, which typically takes about 10 years, began to enter its declining phase. That happens when large herds lead to falling prices, incentivizing ranchers to send more cattle, including breeding heifers, to market — which means fewer calves the next year.
Next, that normal contraction was supercharged by the arrival of a severe, prolonged drought across several Western states starting in 2021. It killed a lot of the grass that feeds 93% of the American herd. Forced to choose between buying expensive hay and sending more heifers to market, most ranchers did a bit of both — again reducing future calf counts.
Even then, though, American ranchers would normally have been able to replace some of their thinning herd with young cattle from Mexico — a critical pressure valve when U.S. supplies are low. But in 2024, when a dangerous parasite known as the New World screwworm — essentially, a fly that lays its eggs in body openings such as eyes and wounds — appeared in Mexico, the U.S. stopped cattle at the border.
And what happened while all this perfect storm of supply disruptions was playing out?
American consumers began eating more beef — first using pandemic relief checks to buy more meat to cook at home, and later keeping their meat consumption high once they’d developed the habit.
“We had all those things compound,” Clemson’s Fischer said. “So in 2020 and 2021, we started seeing a measurable increase in cattle and meat prices — and we’ve been riding that upward trajectory since.”
Meanwhile in South Carolina
Though not a major cattle state like Texas or Oklahoma, S.C. has a small but significant ranching sector, with about 280,000 cattle spread over 6,500 farms. In keeping with the larger national contraction, that’s down more than 5% from last year.
Altogether, cattle contribute about $174 million to the state’s economy, according to state officials.
Deshawn Blanding, the Democratic nominee for state agriculture commissioner, told the City Paper he was “deeply troubled” by the damage a temporary flood of beef imports could do to S.C. farmers.
“Ranchers were finally starting to make money after years of hard times,” said Blanding, a sixth-generation farmer and former policy analyst for the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. “If the goal is to make beef more affordable for families, we have to make sure ranchers aren’t the ones paying the price.”
What’s more, he noted, the Trump administration hasn’t said where the influx of tariff-free beef would be coming from.
“That makes it harder for people to know what they’re buying,” he said. “The farmer and the grocery shopper are on the same side, and the food system should work for both.”
Reached on Aug. 26, a spokesman for Republican nominee Cody Simpson said the candidate was unavailable for comment.
But Simpson addressed the issue in a Facebook post later that afternoon.
“I trust President Trump to make sound decisions on behalf of the American people,” Simpson said. “My commitment is to help lower costs for South Carolina families, strengthen our local markets, and ensure South Carolina producers can compete and succeed.”
He added, “Our state needs more meat processing capacity, stronger local markets, and greater support for farmers and ranchers to keep their grazing lands in agricultural production.”
Meanwhile, Fischer explained, the only long-term cure for high U.S. beef prices is a larger American herd, which is where S.C. can help.
“We’re predominantly what’s called a cow-calf state, meaning the vast majority of our calf production isn’t for beef,” Fischer said. “Typically, our calves are going to Southern Plains feed lots, and then they’re finished off there.”
In other words, S.C. farmers are less in the business of making beef, and more in the business of making cattle to sell to Western ranchers.
As for whether we’ve hit the bottom of the contraction cycle and are headed back up, Fischer is cautious.
“That’s the speculation right now,” he said. “But it’s going to take some time for us to come out of this.”
More time, presumably, than the 10 weeks until the election.
Jack O’Toole is Statehouse bureau chief for Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
Beasley wants Americans to break bread to heal
By Jack O’Toole, Statehouse Bureau | Can sharing a meal help heal an American political culture that increasingly seems to be breaking bad instead?
Former S.C. Gov. David Beasley, who led the United Nations’ World Food Program when it won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, thinks it can. And he’s planning to give it a try by asking people all over the country to share a meal with their political opponents. It’s an initiative he calls Breaking Bread Together.
The idea isn’t to debate, organizers say, but to listen, find common ground and rediscover the real human beings behind the disagreements.
“We’ve forgotten how to disagree without losing sight of each other’s humanity,” Beasley said in an Aug. 27 release. “Breaking Bread Together isn’t about erasing our differences. It’s about proving that they don’t have to divide us. When people slow down, share a table, and truly listen to one another, communities grow stronger and real progress becomes possible.”
Organizers say events will begin rolling out this fall in partnership with local organizations.
“Breaking Bread Together is built on the belief that lasting change doesn’t start in Washington,” spokesperson Olivia Weidie said. “It starts around kitchen tables, church halls, and community farms in cities and towns across America.”
- To learn more about the initiative as it develops, follow Beasley on X.com.
In other recent news
RUNOFF: Graham wins nod to replace her brother on U.S. Senate ballot. Recently-appointed U.S. Sen. Darline Graham won a chance Tuesday to run for a six-year term in November after a rough-and-tumble primary runoff with U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman for the spot to replace her brother on the GOP ballot.
- Senate election in S.C. was test for Trump
- Norman’s election crowd booed Trump at concession
- Myrtle Beach was deciding factor in runoff
- November Senate race will feature four candidates
- You can still register to vote for November election
Legislators approve $350M in earmarks, other changes. A deal passed Tuesday comes two weeks after negotiations over local spending blew up. The deal includes an understanding that the earmark approval process will be revamped with more transparency.
Five candidates running for vacant seat on S.C. Supreme Court. But who is not running is most interesting — former S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas, who drew criticism after an earlier bid. The story outlines the five candidates.
Buttigieg visits S.C. amid talk of another presidential run. Though he insisted he’s “totally focused on 2026,” likely Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg courted Black voters in a trip to S.C., a key constituency in the state’s first-in-the-nation 2028 primary.
S.C. to get around $250 million in Meta settlement. The funding from a $17.1 billion settlement could rise to $350 million to be used for a wide variety of preventive measures to make the digital world safer for children — from crisis hotlines to advertising and mental health programming.
S.C. delays changes to SNAP restricting candy, soda purchases. The South Carolina Department of Social Services is postponing the launch of Healthy Food SC at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
State commission sides with data center in legal challenge. The South Carolina Public Service Commission unanimously ruled in favor of the data center under construction in Spartanburg.
S.C. Inspector General recommends removal of Charleston school board member. An investigation by the South Carolina Office of the State Inspector General determined probable cause to recommend that S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster consider removing an unnamed board member, according to a report.
USC governing board elects first chairwoman. Rose Newton, wife of Republican state House Judiciary Chairman Weston Newton, on Friday became the first woman in the school’s nearly 225-year history to lead its board.
Parton’s ties to South Carolina run deep. Dolly Parton, the Queen of Country, died Tuesday in Nashville at the age of 80, according to a family statement. While known for her Tennessee ties, Parton’s family history and charity work ran deep in the Palmetto State, too.
- Parton’s career, philanthropy spanned S.C.
- S.C. nonprofit leader outlines Parton’s impact on childhood literacy
- Fountain Inn owner turns Parton mural in memorial
Decades of S.C. conservation pays off with banner turtle nesting season. Sea turtle conservation is a lot like planting a tree today to be able to sit in shade years from now. Both are long-term investments.
Right-leaning S.C. think tank picks a new leader. The S.C. Policy Council has selected former state government official Robert Cathcart to lead the conservative idea factory as its new president and CEO.
Rubber stamp
Award-winning cartoonist Robert Ariail has a special knack for shining a light on critical issues in just the right way. This week, he takes aim at the recent Trump-backed GOP primary runoff in which interim incumbent U.S. Sen. Darline Graham won a spot on the November ballot for a full term.
- Love this week’s cartoon or hate it? Did he go too far, or not far enough? Send your thoughts to feedback@statehousereport.com.
Brack: Republicans have slight edge in odd race for U.S. Senate
Commentary by Andy Brack | Even before interim U.S. Sen. Darline Graham won a Tuesday runoff bid to replace her brother on the Republican ballot in November, this year’s race for someone to serve a six-year term in the U.S. Senate was weird. In fact, as we said last week, it’s the oddest in the 72 years since Strom Thurmond became the first person in the country to win a Senate seat as a write-in candidate.
Graham beat U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman by 5% in a rough-and-tumble Tuesday contest where Graham’s home area of the Upstate went to Norman but she carried the Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry.
So now with Graham running against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, the November race pits two women against each other in a state that doesn’t particularly like women legislators. The South Carolina General Assembly only has 24 women among 170 state lawmakers in two chambers. That’s just 14% in a state where 52% of the population is female.
Before Graham’s brother, four-term Republican Lindsey Graham, died unexpectedly on July 11, Andrews had an uphill battle – despite his unpopularity with the far right wing of his party. But he was close with President Donald Trump, who heartily backed Darline Graham at an Horry County rally. That pressure was critical in her 18,069-vote statewide victory. In Horry County, she got 16,841 more votes than Norman.
After Darline Graham was appointed in July to finish her brother’s current term, some weren’t sure she would run for the full term. But she topped nine other candidates, including another congressman and former governor, to make it into the Aug. 25 runoff.
Now, Graham starts out ahead with just 10 weeks until election day. Polling shows a generic Republican congressional candidate in South Carolina has a 10-point advantage over a Democrat, said Winthrop University pollster Scott Huffmon.
“If Graham can stick to talking points, not give Dr. Andrews any ammo with gaffes and refuse to be baited into fighting with Andrews where Andrews has the high ground, Graham just has to play defense,” Huffmon told the Charleston City Paper.
So there’s a shaky path to victory for Andrews – but only if all of the stars align. Consider:
Opting out. With South Carolina voters’ low support for women legislators, those who cast ballots for Norman may be so frustrated by election day that they stay home. That might cut into Graham’s 10-point advantage.
Experience. Voters overall could decide to sit out the election if they’re irked with the general lack of experience by both major party candidates. Graham struggled in a recent debate over a foreign policy question. Andrews ran a race for Congress two years ago but has not held elective office. Neither side would gain much of an advantage here.
Straight tickets. Andrews can tout her professional credentials as a doctor who’s been in the trenches saving lives. Graham’s qualifications are thinner, but because voters don’t really know either of them, South Carolinians may just punch the “R” ballot because that’s what too many are used to. Advantage: Graham.
Black turnout. State Democrats in June nominated a slate of Black challengers for statewide offices and are fielding candidates in every S.C. House race. That might pull a strong turnout by Black voters, who have underperformed in recent years. Advantage: Andrews.
Narrower Senate battles. Across the country, Democrats are desperately trying to secure control of the Senate. That might put South Carolina in play by some Democratic funders – and take GOP money out of South Carolina to put it in other races. Possible advantage for Andrews, but not likely.
Ugliness. If the Graham-Andrews race turns ugly with personal attacks and lots of negative advertising, more people could sit out election day. Possible slight advantage to Andrews.
Trump. If the president, whose popularity is sinking across the country, continues to insert himself in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, there could be a consequence, particularly among miffed Norman supporters who stay home or Democrats and independents who want to send a message. Advantage: Andrews.
Remember what Trump said in the runoff to GOP voters: “What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot.”
In November, more than just Republicans might heed that request – much to the displeasure of Graham.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Saul: When did decency become a luxury?
By Dr. Robert Saul | On my early morning walk the other day, I was listening to a podcast. The host, Nicolle Wallace, was interviewing actor Jeff Daniels.
Daniels is well-known for multiple roles, perhaps his most famous recent one is as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. He is also known for a classic monologue on HBO’s The Newsroom about why America sorely lacks many qualities needed to be a great country again.
As the podcast conversation turned toward politics, Nicolle asked, “when did decency become a luxury?” The dialogue that ensued discussed how decency has deteriorated in our current environment. As I walked and thought, unfortunately I had to nod my head in agreement.
In pulling a definition of decency from the Internet, I ran across this one: “basic decency refers to the minimum standards of polite, moral and honest behavior that are expected in society. It involves treating others with respect, empathy and kindness, and acting in a way that is considered acceptable and appropriate. Essentially, it’s about recognizing the humanity in others and behaving accordingly.” I really like this definition. It gives me a good jumping-off point for my arguments that follow below.
Decency means:
- Telling the truth. Lies serve no purpose other than nefarious ones. And the cost of lies is that they multiply; they become unrecognizable due to repetition; they tear at the moral fabric of our society. They make trust, the social currency of a society, next to impossible. We become a ship at sea without any power or navigation equipment. We become powerless and lost.
- Helping others. When treating others with respect, empathy and kindness, one cannot help but assist those folks in good times and bad times. When we let our leaders engage in us-versus-them battles, we all suffer. When we put ourselves above others to deny basic human needs (health care, education, housing, social assistance, nutrition), we have determined, wrongly in my estimation, that we are the arbiters of the value of human lives. Those of faith should strongly reject such a proposition.
- Feeding others. The United States has great capacity to do good in the world. We have demonstrated that throughout our history and certainly in my lifetime over the last 75 years. Shutting off the “spigot” of food assistance and medical assistance to others around the world is a travesty that will be remembered for its cruelty in the years to come.
- Praising diversity. When we come to grips with the breadth of humanity and our small place in it and when we acknowledge that our physical appearance and our mannerisms do not truly reflect our souls, then we reach the revelation that our incredible diversity is to be embraced. Our differences are usually those of our own making. They are not intrinsically bad but can be used for unsightly purposes if we let them.
- Removing barriers. Barriers that have been erected over the years might be purposeful or unintended. Nonetheless, they are real and usually difficult to overcome or eradicate. Redlining was such a barrier and realistically still exists to this day though some might argue to the contrary. The negative effects of such barriers usually require generations to overcome, if at all. Native Americans still suffer from the effects of westward “colonization” of their lands (taking their lands, placing them in confined territories, essentially wiping out their cultures) that occurred over 200+ years ago. Barriers also exist for those with disabilities. When we ignore the barriers for some, it is too easy to ignore the barriers for all. Decency should never be selective.
- Exercising civility. Without civility, there are no reasonable discussions. I am reminded of the quote from Marilynne Robinson that “resentment displaces hope and purpose the way carbon monoxide displaces air” when civility is lost. Our social environment (our “air”) is poisoned (by a carbon monoxide-like substance) when we lack the ability to interact in a civil manner.
- Engaging in empathy. To have lost the quality of empathy for all, not just for some, is truly heartbreaking. To argue that we are a caring nation and then to see how our government has chosen to execute some laws defies logic. Empathy means the willingness to engage in the suffering of others. It does not mean to inflict suffering on others.
- Practicing humility. To be humble is to accept one’s place amongst the rest of us. We are not the exalted ones or the exalted few while others are beneath us. We treat others as we would want ourselves and our loved ones treated. We care about others.
Decency is not a luxury, but I have to agree with Nicolle Wallace that it seems like it is becoming a scarce commodity. It should be as commonplace as turning on the faucet for water. Yet, our current polarization makes it flow like a trickle at times.
I am reminded of the McCarthy hearings back in the 1950s when U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy was called out and eventually censured for his demonization of so many without any basis in fact. Attorney Joseph Welch pointedly called out McCarthy with “you’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” Welch recognized the importance of decency and nailed his analysis.
We should be better than this. That might be too easy to say but we should at least aspire to be better than this. We need a stronger sense of decency in all of our interactions. Decency should not be a luxury. Decency is a necessity, a basic tool/skill, in a civil society that hopes to advance democratic ideals. Polite, moral and honest behavior is predicated on treating others with respect, empathy, and kindness. Let’s continue to move in that direction and remove the luxury label. It should flow freely everywhere, all the time.
Dr. Robert Saul is a retired Greenwood pediatrician. His new book is “What Really Matters,” and is available online for $15.99 at: mychildrenschildren.com. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Convivial setting
This looks like a fun place to have a beer and a chat. Where is it? Bonus point if you can share when this joint got started. Please send in your best guess – and your name and hometown – to feedback@statehousereport.com. And if you have a mystery photo to share, send that along too (but tell us what it is because we’re horrible guessers.)
Last week’s mystery, “Tan and brick,” showed the outside of the Barnwell County Library.
Sleuth Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, shares that the structure was built first in 1936 as the county’s agricultural building at a time when farming drove the local economy. “In 1978, the building was repurposed and converted into the Barnwell County Public Library, and continues to serve in this capacity almost 50 years later,” he said.
Others who correctly identified the mystery were Jay Altman of Columbia; Frank Bouknight of Summerville; and George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
- SHARE: If you have a Mystery Photo to share, please send it to us – and make sure you tell us what it is!
Send us your thoughts
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- Have a comment? Send your letters or comments to: feedback@statehousereport.com. Make sure to provide your contact details (name, hometown and phone number for verification. Letters are limited to 150 words.
Statehouse Report, founded in 2001 as a weekly legislative forecast that informs readers about what is going to happen in South Carolina politics and policy, is provided by email to you at no charge every Friday.
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- Statehouse bureau chief: Jack O’Toole
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