Disgusted MAGA dairy farmer may ditch GOP after watching Trump chaos
The New York Times profiled a Wisconsin dairy farmer who has been a Republican for decades — but is disillusioned with his longtime party over President Donald Trump's war against the very migrant workers his farm and his community depends on.
"Immigrant workers are the lifeblood of the O’Harrow farm, a four-generation family enterprise with 1,600 cows in northeastern Wisconsin. But many of them will not travel to Mexico to see dying parents, or drive to nearby towns to visit siblings, or let journalists use their names in newspapers, because they are afraid of being swept up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown," wrote Sabrina Tavernise. "That they need to hide strikes the O’Harrow family as morally wrong, but also as potentially bad for the country: These workers oversee America’s milk."
According to the report, 79 percent of milk in the U.S. is produced by dairies that rely on immigrant labor, and if that labor went away, the price of milk could double.
"For two decades, Tim O’Harrow, 79, the family patriarch, has tried to persuade politicians he has voted for and donated to — most of them Republican — that they need to fix the nation’s broken immigration system," said the report. After seeing the immigrant crackdowns around the country that not only rounded up workers but left two people dead in Minneapolis, O'Harrow told The Times, “I don’t know that I’m a Republican anymore. I don’t know what we are anymore.”
Of the DHS invasions of cities around the country, he added, “You can’t have masked thugs go out and kill citizens. Not in our country.”
His son Joel feels the same way.
"In past elections, he voted party line for Republicans. He voted for Donald J. Trump in 2024, as did his father, a choice that, for both men, was part muscle memory, part dislike of the Democratic candidate." But he too is upset, and not just by the immigration issue, but also by the Iran war. “He said he wouldn’t do war. And he did it,” he said.
Both men said they would be open to voting for Democrats at this point.
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Immigrant workers produce 79 percent of milk in the U.S. on dairies that rely on immigrant labor.
"According to the report, 79 percent of milk in the U.S. is produced by dairies that rely on immigrant labor, and if that labor went away, the price of milk could double."
Immigrant workers on O'Harrow farm are afraid of being swept up in immigration crackdowns and avoid travel to Mexico or nearby towns.
"But many of them will not travel to Mexico to see dying parents, or drive to nearby towns to visit siblings, or let journalists use their names in newspapers, because they are afraid of being swept up in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown."
Tim O'Harrow is considering leaving the Republican Party after Trump administration immigration crackdowns.
"After seeing the immigrant crackdowns around the country that not only rounded up workers but left two people dead in Minneapolis , O'Harrow told The Times, 'I don't know that I'm a Republican anymore. I don't know what we are anymore.'"
Tim O'Harrow voted for Donald Trump in 2024 as a longtime Republican.
"He voted for Donald J. Trump in 2024, as did his father, a choice that, for both men, was part muscle memory, part dislike of the Democratic candidate."
Trump administration immigration crackdowns resulted in two deaths in Minneapolis.
"After seeing the immigrant crackdowns around the country that not only rounded up workers but left two people dead in Minneapolis"
Tim O'Harrow has tried to persuade Republican politicians for two decades to fix the immigration system.
"For two decades, Tim O'Harrow, 79, the family patriarch, has tried to persuade politicians he has voted for and donated to — most of them Republican — that they need to fix the nation's broken immigration system."