In a Tuesday social media post, President Donald Trump claimed he will protect farmers and said he recognizes he had to support them financially during his first administration after they were hit by a trade war with China.

Trump on April 2 stunned the world with massive tariffs that he said would prevent countries like China from “ripping off” the U.S. Chinese leader Xi Jinping ditched official caution and issued a patriotic message casting doubt on whether American voters could bear as much hardship as the Chinese.

Trump has defended his tariff strategy as a way to restore U.S. manufacturing and push trading partners to eliminate what he calls unfair barriers to American goods. Why It Matter