Last July, Biden released BILLIONS in funding to black farmers who had faced discrimination. Mississippi had the most recipients in the nation. A total of 13,283 black farmers in the state were approved to receive $525 million in assistance. Trump shut that down.

In mid-2024, the Biden administration released over $2 billion in payments to Black and other minority farmers who faced discrimination, with Mississippi having the highest number of recipients (13,283) receiving approximately $525 million; however, the claim that Trump 'shut that down' oversimplifies and misrepresents the timeline and context of related policies.

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified July 19, 2025

USDA data and multiple news reports confirm $2 billion in payments to minority farmers in 2024 with Mississippi receiving $525 million for 13,283 recipients.benniethompson.house.gov washingtonpost.com Reports show some Trump-era policy changes affected debt relief programs but did not fully block all assistance programs later expanded by Biden.

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

The claim can be broken down into several components: 1) Biden released billions in funding to Black farmers who faced discrimination; 2) Mississippi had the most recipients nationally; 3) 13,283 Black farmers in Mississippi were approved to receive $525 million; 4) Trump shut that down.

Multiple sources confirm that in 2024, the Biden administration implemented a Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) through the USDA, distributing roughly $2 billion to Black and other minority farmers who had experienced discrimination.mississippifreepress.org benniethompson.house.gov This funding was part of a broader effort to address decades of USDA-backed discrimination.

Mississippi indeed had the highest number of recipients at 13,283 individuals, followed by Alabama with about 10,907 recipients. These two states accounted for over half of all payments under this program.benniethompson.house.gov

The amount allocated to Mississippi farmers was approximately $525 million, as confirmed by Congressman Bennie Thompson and USDA reports.washingtonpost.com

The assertion that Trump 'shut that down' is misleading. While some debt relief provisions for socially disadvantaged farmers were repealed or altered during the Trump administration (notably a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act repealed certain debt relief and replaced it with other funding), the large-scale payments under Biden’s administration represent new or resumed efforts rather than a simple reversal of Trump-era policy. Additionally, some reports indicate that during Trump's term there were freezes or delays on certain grants or assistance programs, but these are not equivalent to completely shutting down all forms of assistance. The Biden administration’s actions in 2024 represent a significant expansion and disbursement of funds.

Therefore, while the core facts about funding amounts and recipient numbers are accurate, the characterization of Trump’s role is an oversimplification lacking nuance about policy changes over multiple years.

Primary trail