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Rising Beef Prices Blamed on Migrants, Critics Push Back

11/17/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, claimed rising beef prices are caused by migrants bringing infected cattle from South America.
In a Fox News interview, he described the beef market as a "perfect storm" inherited from the Biden administration.
Critics dismissed the theory as unfounded, noting no diseases in the United States since the Mexico outbreak, while economists attribute the spike to cattle shortages and drought.

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Story summary

Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, claimed rising beef prices are caused by migrants bringing infected cattle from South America.
In a Fox News interview, he described the beef market as a "perfect storm" inherited from the Biden administration.
Critics dismissed the theory as unfounded, noting no diseases in the United States since the Mexico outbreak, while economists attribute the spike to cattle shortages and drought.