President Donald Trump just dropped a bombshell on the beef industry with a bold move against corporate heavyweights.
Breitbart reported that Trump has ordered the Department of Justice to launch a full-scale investigation into the "Big Four" meatpackers—JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef—over allegations of price fixing and shady market collusion that’s squeezing American ranchers and consumers alike.
These four titans, with Brazil-based JBS among them, now control a staggering 85% of the U.S. beef market. That’s a far cry from 1980, when their grip was just 36%. Talk about a meat monopoly—hardly the free market conservatives cherish.
Back in the 1980s, the top four packers bought about one-third of all fed cattle in the country. By the mid-1990s, that share had skyrocketed to over 80%, and it’s only gotten tighter since. This isn’t growth; it’s a stranglehold.
Trump himself pointed out a glaring red flag: while cattle prices paid to ranchers have dropped, the cost of boxed beef at the store keeps climbing. “Therefore, you know that something is ‘fishy,’” he posted on Truth Social, and frankly, it’s hard to argue with that gut check.
The White House isn’t mincing words either, stating that this industry consolidation has “crushed competition” and “hammered cattle producers.” When ranchers get less while consumers pay more, you don’t need a Ph.D. in economics to smell a rat.
According to an official press release, this unchecked monopoly power has slashed payments to ranchers, shrunk herd sizes, jacked up grocery bills, and even threatened the nation’s food supply chain. That’s not just bad business—it’s a national security concern.
The investigation aims to uncover whether these corporate giants have violated antitrust or fair competition laws by manipulating beef supply and prices. If they have, they’re not just gaming the system; they’re playing with the livelihoods of hardworking Americans.
R-CALF USA, a group standing up for American cattle ranchers, is cheering Trump’s decision from the sidelines. Their CEO, Bill Bullard, noted, “There has long been a disconnect between cattle prices and beef prices, and we believe this is evidence of market failure.” That disconnect isn’t just a quirk—it’s a dagger to the heart of fair trade.
Bullard added, “We welcome this investigation to ensure that cattle producers receive competitive prices for their cattle, and that consumers pay prices set by a competitive market rather than a monopolistic one.” It’s a rare day when ranchers and everyday shoppers are on the same side, begging for relief from corporate overreach.
Trump’s directive isn’t just a policy move; it’s a promise to protect the little guy—ranchers blamed for high beef prices when foreign-owned meatpackers seem to be pulling the strings. “We will always protect our American Ranchers,” Trump declared on Truth Social, and that’s a pledge conservatives can rally behind.
The President also vowed swift action, stating, “We will get to the bottom of it very quickly.” If there’s wrongdoing, heads will roll—and they should. This isn’t about punishing success; it’s about stopping exploitation.
The White House further warned that this consolidation has “led to the exploitation of American consumers, farmers, and ranchers.” When your steak costs more while the folks raising the cattle can barely pay their bills, that’s not capitalism—it’s a rigged game.
Trump’s call for the DOJ to act “expeditiously” is a reminder that conservatives aren’t just about deregulation; we’re about justice. If these meatpacking giants are indeed colluding to inflate prices, they’ve got a reckoning coming. And for once, it’s not just talk—it’s action for the heartland.