Trump Touts Presidential 'Advantage' as He Unveils $8 Billion in 'Goodies' for Farmers at Kansas Rally

Donald Trump used a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday night to announce plans for about £6 billion ($8 billion) in fuel aid for farmers, joking that being president comes with 'a little bit of an advantage'.

Speaking in Park City on 19 October 2026, the president said the Department of Agriculture would launch a Harvest Fuel Relief Program to help farmers cover diesel costs.

He framed the payments as 'goodies' while campaigning for Senator Roger Marshall and Republican gubernatorial nominee Ty Masterson, 15 days before the midterm elections. Diesel prices in the US remain above $6 (£4.50) a gallon.

'Some More Goodies'

Trump made the announcement after urging Kansans to vote for Masterson, the Republican running for governor, if they wanted cheaper fuel. 'And some more goodies,' he said. 'You know, I always heard that when you're president you have a little bit of an advantage and I sort of see why now,' according to a transcript of the rally.

He went on: 'Tonight, I'm also pleased to announce that the Department of Agriculture will be launching a new Harvest Fuel Relief Program, providing our farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season.'

Trump credited Marshall for the programme. 'Roger Marshall is the leader who fought for that to happen. Roger got it to happen,' he said. He also introduced Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, whom he described as a longtime friend.

The USDA will pay the aid as one-time payments to eligible recipients, intended to 'cover a portion of modeled losses during the 2026 crop year', OilPrice.com reported. Farmers are being encouraged to submit reports of their fuel costs, according to the outlet, although the USDA had not set out full eligibility rules or payment timings in the reports reviewed.

Diesel Above $6 a Gallon

The aid comes as fuel costs squeeze farmers at harvest time. US diesel rose from about $6.27 (£4.70) a gallon to about $6.32 (£4.74) over the past week, OilPrice.com reported.

Trump told the crowd he had signed an executive order two weeks ago 'waiving the off-road requirement for red-dyed diesel', which he said allowed farmers, truckers and others to fill up with their diesel 'totally tax-free'. The administration had deferred the federal tax on dyed diesel, OilPrice.com reported, although state taxes are separate.

The combined federal diesel excise and storage-tank tax is 24.4 cents (£0.18) a gallon, about $60 (£45) on a 250-gallon fill, according to the White House. OilPrice.com said the earlier measure had little effect on prices.

The president accused Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a term-limited Democrat, of refusing to offer similar relief at state level. Masterson faces Democrat Cindy Holscher in the race to succeed her. 'She doesn't want to give any relief to you people, and she's your governor, I guess not for long,' he said. 'If you want to really do it right and want low-cost diesel fuel you must vote for Ty Masterson for governor.'

Trump also predicted a sharp fall in oil and diesel prices once the US military campaign against Iran ends, which he claimed would happen soon.

The new money adds to earlier aid. 'I just gave the farmers $12 billion, and in my first term, I gave them $28 billion,' Trump said, adding that money had come from tariffs on China. 'China paid it. It was a gift from China,' he claimed. He offered no evidence for the claim.

A Rally for Roger Marshall

Trump opened by saying he was in Kansas for Marshall. 'I'm here for a guy named Roger Marshall,' he said, according to Roll Call's Factba.se transcript. '15 days from now, the people of Kansas are going to reelect a great, a truly great person, a great senator.'

Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor from Leawood, in a race that a New York Times/Siena poll showed tied at 45 per cent among likely voters, CNN reported. Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.

On the campaign trail, Trump called Hamilton 'a radical-left phony who's pretending to be a moderate' and claimed: 'Adam Hamilton wants to take away your guns.' He also claimed Hamilton opposed his travel ban. Those are Trump's characterisations of his opponent.

He returned repeatedly to the governor's race and to gun rights. 'We're going to elect Ty Masterson as your next governor,' Trump said. 'So with Roger Marshall in the Senate and me as your president, we will always protect your Second Amendment right.'

The president addressed the controversy over Marshall's record as a physician. A New York Times investigation in September found that Marshall sued more than 700 patients over unpaid medical bills, The Boston Globe reported. According to the Times's analysis of Kansas court records, patients were arrested in 81 cases after missing court dates.

Trump defended Marshall, saying he 'was given a bum rap because he was mandated by law to request strongly, money owed from patients'. He argued that a judge, not Marshall, had ordered arrests for missed court dates. The Times investigation documented the lawsuits and arrests but did not establish that Marshall was legally required to pursue patients in court.

Trump also promoted Marshall's Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, a healthcare price transparency bill, claiming it would 'save the typical American over $2,000 a year'. He did not say where the figure came from.

Advance voting has already begun in some Kansas counties, with in-person advance voting available statewide from 27 October, ahead of polling day on 3 November.

Kansas farmers will now wait for the USDA to set out when, and how, the promised fuel payments will reach them.