Skylar Holden, a farmer who supported Donald Trump at the polls, recorded a TikTok in which he begged for help saving his farm — a farm now at risk specifically because of Trump’s decisions.
Although Trump has been in office for less than a month, many of his backers — especially farmers — are already expressing regret over casting their ballots for him. One of his earliest actions in office was an attempt to halt as much foreign and domestic federal assistance as possible. His improper memo freezing domestic aid was blocked, but the administration has continued to fight the ruling while programs nationwide report they still cannot access funds.
Funds tied to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) remain under freeze as well. The IRA allocated billions for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help farmers adopt conservation measures. As a result, farmers with NRCS contracts suddenly learned their agreements and payments were paused, leaving them on the hook for conservation investments that NRCS was expected to reimburse.
What makes the situation even more striking is that the farming population largely consists of Trump supporters. And now many of them want help escaping the turmoil they voted into power.
Holden, a pro-Trump farmer from Missouri who posts as @cattlemenfamilyfarms on TikTok, shared a recent video asking for assistance to keep his farm afloat. In the clip, captioned, “Please help me and many other farmers,” he explained that he is one of many caught in the fallout from Trump’s freezes. He had an NRCS contract backing a $240,000 conservation project meant to improve fencing, wells, and seedings. With the freeze in place, the agency can’t pay for the work already completed or anything yet to be done. Holden said, “I’ve already done a bunch of the work, already paid for the material and the labor, so I’m out all that cost.” He has poured $80,000 of his own money into the program, and without the funds promised in the contract, he will lose his farm.
Holden also mentioned that several other farmers reached out to him saying they were facing the same crisis. That is why he turned to social media to encourage people to contact representatives and help draw attention to what is happening.
@cattlemenfamilyfarms Please help me and many other farmers! Tag your senators and representatives! #farmers #help #trump #biden #politics #ranchers #agriculture @President Donald J Trump @J.D. Vance ♬ original sound – Skylar Holden
His video instantly drew backlash as many viewers noted he knowingly voted for the person responsible. None of this was unpredictable — Trump had openly threatened tariffs that would harm farmers, and Project 2025 spelled out in detail how it would wreck the agricultural industry by dismantling protections, assistance, and funding. Democrats warned repeatedly that Trump’s claims of having no connection to Project 2025 should not be trusted. So it is understandably aggravating to see farmers seeking sympathy now that they are feeling the consequences they were cautioned about.
Many users criticized Holden for asking for help without acknowledging the role he played. He defended himself by saying he had “no time to research” who or what he supported when voting. He said he didn’t trust what the media said about Trump, so he relied on right-wing voices insisting Trump would not enact Project 2025. In another video, he admitted he based his vote on a 25-question quiz he found online. At one point, he complained that his post ended up on TikTok’s “political side” when he only wanted to discuss farming, even though most Americans understand the two cannot be separated. His repost history, meanwhile, shows he had plenty of time to share dozens of right-wing videos, including ones with hateful narratives or misinformation.
@cattlemenfamilyfarms Please help me and many other farmers! Tag your senators and representatives! #farmers #help #trump #biden #politics #ranchers #agriculture @President Donald J Trump @J.D. Vance ♬ original sound – Skylar Holden
Still, while frustration is warranted, no one should say they’re glad Holden may lose his farm. If farms fail, the consequences ripple across the entire country, not just among Trump voters.
The strongest response came from Will Westmoreland, offering guidance as “an older farmer.” In his video, he said, “I’m not even asking you to say you were wrong; I’m just asking you to admit you were lied to.” Westmoreland explained how Holden had been misled and essentially conditioned to distrust mainstream media, to believe only right-wing influencers were truthful, to assume the government couldn’t responsibly distribute funds, and to think Trump had no involvement with Project 2025. Admitting he made a mistake may not change much for Holden personally, but if he takes this experience seriously and begins speaking out about how Americans — especially pro-Trump farmers — have been openly deceived, he might help others avoid the same trap.
