While Most Republicans Stampede Away From Trump, One Group Remains Loyal

For the most part, at least.

While many prominent Republicans stampede away from Trump, members of his ag-advisory committee have largely remained as docile as sheep. <a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/photo/flock-of-sheep-grazing-gm500613590-80874545?st=_p_sheep">fotokostic</a>/iStock

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Last Friday, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign announced additions to his Agricultural and Rural Advisory Committee: Two Nebraska farmers joined a group of more than 60 Republican elected officials and agribusiness execs, chaired by Nebraska rancher and multilevel-marketing magnate Charles Herbster.

That same day, after Trump boasted of his taste for committing acts that amount to sexual assault, Republican politicians began to stampede away from their party standard bearer. By Monday afternoon, no fewer than 50 prominent Republicans had withdrawn their support from Trump in response to his toxic remarks, The New York Times reports.

But his ag-policy committee remains nearly completely intact. Of its 60-plus members, only two—South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaar and Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis—count among the recent renegades.

So: Two members joined Friday, and two have left since. For a man who divides his time between Manhattan and Palm Beach, Trump enjoys loyal support from certain quarters of the ag world. For more on Trump’s food and farm agenda, see here, here, here, here, and here.

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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