Speaker 1: Senate Republican Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, who is on the Agriculture, Commerce and Finance Committees. His state has restricted foreign ownership of agricultural lands since 1979. Senator Thune, thank you very much. It's always good to see you. Thanks for being here today.

Speaker 2: Good to be with you, Martha.

Speaker 1: Thanks. So, obviously, the rural parts of the country are what in 2016 President Trump called the forgotten men and women of America. And he resonated with them in a large way. People came out who had not voted a lot in the past and voted for him. We know that from looking at the polling after the election. And now we're talking about farming in this country and land that has been sold to Chinese entities. In some senses, we're not even sure how much land they have, because they have to declare that they're buying land in the United States. How big of a concern is all this for you?

Speaker 2: I think it's a big concern, Martha, and the reason farmers and ranchers are so supportive of President Trump and his policies is because under the Biden-Harris administration, what they've seen with inflation is a huge rise in input costs, declining commodity prices, and a record trade deficit. We never had trade deficits in agriculture. We always had trade surpluses. Last year was the first year ever we had a trade deficit. This year it's going to be over $30 billion, and they're saying the year after that $42 billion trade deficit for agriculture in this country. And so when you look at the increase in fertilizer costs, the increase in diesel costs, in land and equipment, and then the fact that commodity prices are going down, and then you see, like you said, what's happening with Chinese interests in this country in farmland and attempts to acquire farmland close to military bases, these are just, these policies of this administration have been an absolute failure when it comes to farmers and ranchers. Agriculture needs a new direction for this country, and the policies that President Trump brings when it comes to energy, when it comes to taxes, when it comes to regulations, when it comes to trade, is going to make American farmers and ranchers competitive again. And that's why we've got to have a change in November.

Speaker 1: So you heard what the president, the former president was saying there. He said that he had a deal when he was president that China would have to buy $50 billion of American goods as part of the agreement that was reached, and he said they're not doing that now, and he said Biden and Harris will never make them do that. Do you agree with that, and has that deal slipped apart, and do you think that if Harris were president, she would hold China's feet to the fire? I feel like we've heard almost nothing about China policy throughout the course of this whole campaign so far, except what we just heard.

Speaker 2: And I think that's the problem, Martha, is they don't respect and revere Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. And so they prey on that weakness, and they take advantage of that weakness, and that's why countries like China, with a president like President Trump, they were worried. They were fearful of what was going to happen next. And so, you know, the way that President Trump used selectively and in a targeted way for people who are cheating when it comes to trade with the United States, countries like China, tariffs and trade policy, I think that is enormously helpful, was helpful when he was in the White House previously, and I think that's why farmers and ranchers are so anxious to have him back. If you look at what this administration has done in all those areas, they project weakness. And whether that's on national security or whether that's economic security, energy security, those issues are all linked, and this administration is sending signals to countries like China that our country can be taken advantage of. The way to change that is to get a strong leader in the White House.

Speaker 1: I want to ask you about a couple of other things. You've seen a lot of elections in your time in the U.S. Senate. What is your take on where this stands? You see how close it is. He's in Pennsylvania right now. It's 48-47, Trump-Harris right now in Pennsylvania. What is your sense of where this thing is headed, given it's the tightest presidential election we've had at this stage of the game in modern history?

Speaker 2: Well, I think that in the end, people are going to vote. Their pocketbooks, they're going to vote on some of the issues I just mentioned. The fact that inflation is up over 20 percent, groceries are up over 20 percent, energy is up over 40 percent, people are spending $13,000 a year more under this administration for their basic cost of living. So I think in the end, that's what's going to win out. I spent a couple days on the bus with Dave McCormick, our Senate candidate in Pennsylvania. We did an ag event there. I did an ag event with Mike Rogers in Michigan, another state that is important in this election at the presidential level. And, you know, the polls are tight. I get that. But at the end of the day, when people think about this election, the question they're going to ask is, am I better off than I was four years ago? And the answer, in the minds of most Americans, is this country is headed in the wrong direction, not the right direction. And the way to get it headed back in the right direction is to make that change in the White House and elect President Trump. So I think people across the heartland and states like Pennsylvania, other states where we have competitive Senate races as well, are in the process right now of evaluating these candidates. But I think the sugar high is wearing off of Kamala Harris. They know her policies are wrong. And they're going to be, I think, anxious to get President Trump in the White House and to give him a majority in the United States Senate to work with.

Speaker 1: Let me ask you about this very hot situation that's happening in Israel right now. I mean, we're sending additional troops to the region. I just spoke to General Patard moments ago. Does that concern you? And do you see this headed toward a situation where the United States is going to have to help Israel defend itself with our own boots on the ground?

Speaker 2: I think that we have to be prepared to have Israel's back, you know, whatever that takes. And we all know who's behind this. It's Iran. It's Iran. It's Hezbollah. It's Hamas. It's the Houthis. It's all these Iranian militias that have been attacking American troops in places like Syria. This is Iran. And at some point we're going to have to confront that reality. Now one of the things, of course, this administration has done is they have, again, projected weakness, lifting sanctions, you know, making dollars available for Iran to be able to fund these terrorist organizations that are harassing Israel on a daily basis on their borders. We've got to make sure that Israel is safe and secure and stable. It will bring peace and security and stability to that region. And it's going to require, if necessary, America to have Israel's back. We've always said that. And when push comes to shove, we need to make sure that we're there to support them and to ensure that stability reigns in that region.

Speaker 1: And even with military action on the part of our own men and women?

Speaker 2: Well, I think, you know, you always hope that's a last resort, Martha. But at some point we've got to confront the menace that is behind all this terrorist activity. And that is Iran. And the only thing they understand is strength. And what they've seen out of this administration is weakness. And countries like Iran, they prey on weakness. And at some point we're going to have to have that confrontation in whatever form it takes.

Speaker 1: Senator John Thune, the number two Republican in the Senate. Thank you very much. Senator, always good to have you with us.

Speaker 3: Thank you. Hey, Sean Hannity here. Hey, click here to subscribe to Fox News YouTube page and catch our hottest interviews and most compelling analysis. You will not get it anywhere else.