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Yo, Adrian!

Congressman Adrian Smith, one of three Republicans representing all of Nebraska, offers his candid thoughts on Trump’s soybean diplomacy, the tariff backlash, his beef with Canada, the party’s “affordability” balancing act, and more.

Rep. Adrian Smith
"Low crop prices, commodity prices—it’s been painful for the row crops, especially in grain, soybeans, and corn, which obviously my constituents produce a lot of. That’s why, writ large, we want to grow markets for our products," says Rep. Adrian Smith. Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Puck
Leigh Ann Caldwell
May 13, 2026

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Somewhat awkwardly for this political moment, Rep. Adrian Smith is no fan of tariffs. His very Republican district covers nearly the entirety of Nebraska, a rural state with more cattle than people and an economy deeply tied to agricultural exports. So when I sat down with the congressman at our latest Puck Power Breakfast, he tried to navigate one of the trickier balancing acts in contemporary Republican politics, being careful not to be too critical of President Trump while acknowledging tariffs’ downward impact on his district’s farmers and ranchers.