Trump says he'll examine beef-processing rules after radio exchange calling plants a 'cartel'

In a radio exchange aired on C-SPAN, callers and President Donald Trump discussed what the president called a "meat processing cartel" and the possibility of easing federal regulatory barriers to increase local processing capacity. A caller asked officials to "please, when it comes to beef, please look at the cartel that is the meat processing cartel."

During the program, Trump said the U.S. could "teach Canada you can't do this anymore" in the broader trade dispute and urged action to address consolidation in beef processing. He told the host he wanted to "break the back" of the large processing plants and suggested reducing inspections or regulation could enable more local butchering.

Washington Examiner White House reporter Naomi Lim told the program such media exchanges often seed policy ideas that are later developed through formal channels. Lim noted prior short-term exemptions on ground beef imports, and said the current conversation follows an earlier 90-day exemption affecting roughly 300,000 metric tons of product.

Supporters of easing regulation say inspections and rules are burdensome for small producers; critics warn that reducing oversight could raise food safety risks. The program reported no formal policy change announced by the White House beyond the president saying he would "look into" potential regulatory adjustments.