Aaron Flint Praised DOGE, Which Fired USDA Workers Who Supported Montana Farmers And Froze Grants To Montana Farmers

Flint Praised DOGE And Appeared To Support The U.S. Department Of Agriculture (USDA) Cutting Millions Of Dollars In Spending

October 2025: Flint Posed For A Photo With Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s Choice To Co-Lead DOGE

October 2025: Flint Posed For A Photo With Vivek Ramaswamy. “Just chatted with @vivekgramaswamy backstage before @turningpointusa event at Montana State @turningpointusa_msu.” [Aaron Flint, Instagram, 10/7/25]

Image: see original report, p. 13

[Aaron Flint, Instagram, 10/7/25]

• Ramaswamy Was Trump’s Choice To Co-Lead DOGE. “Vivek Ramaswamy, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with entrepreneur Elon Musk, is expected to soon step away from the task force, CBS News has learned. Ramaswamy intends to announce a campaign for Ohio governor as soon as the end of January, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News.” [CBS News, 1/19/25]

March 2025: Flint Praised DOGE For Finding What He Called $6 Million Of Waste In A University Of Montana Program

March 2025: Flint Said DOGE Found $6 Million Of Waste In A University Of Montana Program To Strengthen Democracy And Bridge Divides. “As the DOGE team goes agency by agency highlighting waste, fraud, and abuse in federal government spending- a University of Montana program was mentioned by name in a video shared by the Pentagon spokesman. […] Parnell: ‘In the Air Force, $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training. $6 million to the University of Montana to strengthen American democracy by bridging divides.’” [Montana Talks, Aaron Flint Column, 3/5/25]

February 2025: Flint Appeared To Support The USDA Cutting Millions Of Dollars In Spending

February 2025: Flint Seemingly Reacted Positively To A Headline Alleging USDA Cut Millions In Contracts, Including A $230,000 Contract For A Gender Consultant. “If a gender consultant falls in the forest...” [Aaron Flint, Facebook, 2/17/25]

Image: see original report, p. 14

[Aaron Flint, Facebook, 2/17/25]

2024-2025: Flint Praised DOGE And One Of Its Allies

February 2025: Montana Talks Flint Column Headline: “DOGE Should Be Very Good For Montana Educators.” [Montana Talks, Aaron Flint Column, 2/25/25]

February 2025: Flint Replied To A Post By Sen. Steve Daines Praising Argentina President Javier Milei And DOGE. “[Steve Daines:] Great to meet with Argentina President Javier Milei. He took a chainsaw to government spending, cutting it 30%, and is getting inflation under control. A great inspiration for President Trump’s efforts with @DOGE! [Aaron Flint:] Milei is awesome! He should come visit during the PBR in Montana.” [Aaron Flint, Twitter, 2/17/25]

Image: see original report, p. 15

[Aaron Flint, Twitter, 2/17/25]

• Flint Called Milei “Awesome.” “[Steve Daines:] Great to meet with Argentina President Javier Milei. He took a chainsaw to government spending, cutting it 30%, and is getting inflation under control. A great inspiration for President Trump’s efforts with @DOGE! [Aaron Flint:] Milei is awesome! He should come visit during the PBR in Montana.” [Aaron Flint, Twitter, 2/17/25]

December 2024: Flint Amplified A Fox News Opinion Piece About How DOGE Could “Help Save Lives, Money From Wildfires.” “Here's how DOGE can help save lives, money from wildfires #FoxNews.” [Aaron Flint, Twitter, 12/18/24]

Image: see original report, p. 15

[Aaron Flint, Twitter, 12/18/24]

2025: DOGE Fired USDA Workers Who Supported Montana Farmers And National Forests, And Froze Grants To Montana Farmers

DOGE Fired Thousands Of USDA Workers Who Supported Montana Farmers, Resulting In A One-Person Staffed Farm Services Administration (FSA) Office In Montana And Heavier Workloads For Farmers

NPR Headline: “Among The Federal Workers Fired: USDA Workers Who Keep Food Safe And Crops Growing.” [NPR, 2/18/25]

February 2025: The USDA Fired More Than 5,700 Employees. “More than 5,700 probationary employees at the USDA were fired in February, according to Mary Pletcher Rice, an Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary that oversees human resources at the agency. And while Rice testified that they were reinstated following a court order in March, many of the workers say that they’re still on administrative leave or have taken early retirement or buyouts, while others are anticipating further dramatic reductions in force. One FSA office in Montana where rancher Bill Milton lives, went from five staff to one. Other offices around the rural West shuttered completely.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

High Country News Headline: “Farmers Face Frozen Jobs and Heavier Workloads Under DOGE ‘Efficiency’ Budget.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

One FSA Office In Montana Went From Having Five Staff To One. “More than 5,700 probationary employees at the USDA were fired in February, according to Mary Pletcher Rice, an Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary that oversees human resources at the agency. And while Rice testified that they were reinstated following a court order in March, many of the workers say that they’re still on administrative leave or have taken early retirement or buyouts, while others are anticipating further dramatic reductions in force. One FSA office in Montana where rancher Bill Milton lives, went from five staff to one. Other offices around the rural West shuttered completely.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

• High Country News: “Without Enough Employees Around, Deadlines Are Missed, And Farmers Are Left Out To Dry.” “One FSA office in Montana where rancher Bill Milton lives, went from five staff to one. Other offices around the rural West shuttered completely. The changes are creating a ‘disturbing amount of uncertainty,’ Milton said. The office helps Montana landowners identify grants and file critical paperwork so money funnels into on-the-ground projects. Without enough employees around, deadlines are missed, and farmers are left out to dry.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

Montana Rancher Bill Milton Said Staffing Cuts Created A “Disturbing Amount Of Uncertainty.” “One FSA office in Montana where rancher Bill Milton lives, went from five staff to one. Other offices around the rural West shuttered completely. The changes are creating a ‘disturbing amount of uncertainty,’ Milton said. The office helps Montana landowners identify grants and file critical paperwork so money funnels into on-the-ground projects. Without enough employees around, deadlines are missed, and farmers are left out to dry.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

The Loss Of Staff At The Farm Services Administration (FSA) Compounded The Damage Done To Farmers And Ranchers By DOGE. “The damage done to farmers and ranchers by grants frozen or ended by the Department of Government Efficiency is compounded by the loss of local staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Administration (FSA) offices that have traditionally provided on-the-ground support for projects. […] One FSA office in Montana where rancher Bill Milton lives, went from five staff to one. Other offices around the rural West shuttered completely. The changes are creating a ‘disturbing amount of uncertainty,’ Milton said. The office helps Montana landowners identify grants and file critical paperwork so money funnels into on-the-ground projects. Without enough employees around, deadlines are missed, and farmers are left out to dry.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

• The FSA Office Helped Montana Landowners Find Grants And File Paperwork To Funnel Money Into Projects On The Ground. “The damage done to farmers and ranchers by grants frozen or ended by the Department of Government Efficiency is compounded by the loss of local staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Administration (FSA) offices that have traditionally provided on-the-ground support for projects. […] One FSA office in Montana where rancher Bill Milton lives, went from five staff to one. Other offices around the rural West shuttered completely. The changes are creating a ‘disturbing amount of uncertainty,’ Milton said. The office helps Montana landowners identify grants and file critical paperwork so money funnels into on-the-ground projects. Without enough employees around, deadlines are missed, and farmers are left out to dry.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

February 2025: DOGE Fired At Least 360 U.S. Forest And National Park Service Employees In Montana

February 2025: The Trump Administration Fired At Least 360 U.S. Forest And National Park Service Employees In Montana. “In response to news this week that Montana’s largest land manager is laying off 360 Montana-based federal employees, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service said Friday the agency is ‘confident that talented individuals’ impacted by the staffing reduction will have ‘many opportunities to contribute to our economy and society in countless ways outside of government.’ The spokesperson, who asked to not be identified, went on to say that Brooke Rollins, who heads up the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, ‘fully supports President Trump’s directive to optimize government operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen USDA’s ability to better serve American farmers, ranchers, loggers and the agriculture community.’” [Montana Free Press, 2/14/25]

• U.S. Forest And National Park Service Layoffs In Montana Were A Result OF DOGE Efforts. “The USDA is the largest federal employer in Montana and oversees the U.S. Forest Service, which manages more land in Montana than any other federal agency. Hundreds of Montanans lost their positions with the USFS in a sweeping round of layoffs implemented at the behest of a Department of Government Efficiency federal workforce reduction effort led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.” [Montana Free Press, 3/5/25]
• Responsibilities Of The Fired Forest Service Employees Included Clearing Trails, Responding To Wildfires, Controlling Noxious Weeds, Supporting Timber Sales, Restoring Fisheries And Studying Archaeological Sites, Among Others. “While many of the Forest Service workers laid off have multiple years of experience with the agency, they were considered ]probationary employees’ because they were just a year or two into their current position. Among other duties, the laid-off employees were charged with clearing trails, servicing campgrounds and rental cabins, responding to wildfires, controlling noxious weeds, supporting timber sales, restoring fisheries and studying archaeological sites.” [Montana Free Press, 3/5/25]

2025: DOGE Froze Grants To Montana Farmers And Ranchers

2025: High Country News: Farmers And Ranchers Had Grants Frozen Or Ended By DOGE. “The damage done to farmers and ranchers by grants frozen or ended by the Department of Government Efficiency is compounded by the loss of local staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Administration (FSA) offices that have traditionally provided on-the-ground support for projects. In fact, the USDA announced Monday that it plans to cancel its grants for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, though it may approve some of them if they meet the administration’s priorities.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

Montana Farmer Anna Jones-Crabtree Saw Half Of Her Federal Grant Frozen By The Federal Government. “Anna Jones-Crabtree and her husband spend sunup to sundown — plus hours of time before and after — nurturing 20 crops through tight margins on their dryland organic farm in Montana. Federal grants have long helped ease those tight margins, enabling farmers like Jones-Crabtree to survive and even thrive despite droughts and fires, market swings and crop failures. It’s the fruit of a philosophy that stewarding large tracts of land benefits not just a country with 340 million hungry bellies and a global food economy but also the clean air and water that people depend on as well as the land wildlife needs to survive. So she was taken aback when the U.S. government froze half of a $100,000 grant the farm had received to hire people for regenerative agriculture work.

She had workers and a crop plan ready, but now it looked like the rest of that money would never be paid out.” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

• Jones-Crabtree: “We’re In A Tight Spot. […] It’s A Perfect Storm.” “Anna Jones-Crabtree and her husband spend sunup to sundown — plus hours of time before and after — nurturing 20 crops through tight margins on their dryland organic farm in Montana. ‘We’re in a tight spot. Combine that with the markets right now,’ she said, ‘and this is unprecedented. It’s a perfect storm.’” [High Country News, 4/26/25]

March 2026: The Trump Administration Canceled $23.5 Million In USDA Grants For Montana

March 2026: The USDA Canceled A Combined $23.5 Million In Land, Capital And Market Access Program Grants For Montana. “In March, the USDA canceled 49 of 50 Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program grants designed to support ‘underserved’ farmers and ranchers. At least three projects in Montana were affected: Piikani Lodge Health Institute, headquartered on the Blackfeet Reservation, lost a nearly $9 million grant to improve operations for farmers and ranchers in the region. The Chippewa Cree Tribe in north-central Montana lost a nearly $6 million award to purchase land and train young farmers and ranchers how to manage it. And South Dakota-based Four Bands Community Fund lost an $8.5 million grant to train and financially support at least 25 low-income agricultural producers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. At the time, Montana-based awardees said they’d received just fractions of the grant funds and described the terminations as ‘devastating.’” [Montana Free Press, 5/27/26]

• The USDA Canceled Nearly $9 Million In Land, Capital And Market Access Program Grants For The Piikani Lodge Health Institute, Which Was Headquartered On The Blackfeet Reservation. “In March, the USDA canceled 49 of 50 Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program grants designed to support ‘underserved’ farmers and ranchers. At least three projects in Montana were affected: Piikani Lodge Health Institute, headquartered on the Blackfeet Reservation, lost a nearly $9 million grant to improve operations for farmers and ranchers in the region. The Chippewa Cree Tribe in north-central Montana lost a nearly $6 million award to purchase land and train young farmers and ranchers how to manage it. And South Dakota-based Four Bands Community Fund lost an $8.5 million grant to train and financially support at least 25 low-income agricultural producers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. At the time, Montana-based awardees said they’d received just fractions of the grant funds and described the terminations as ‘devastating.’” [Montana Free Press, 5/27/26]
• The USDA Canceled Nearly $6 Million In Land, Capital And Market Access Program Grants For The Chippewa Cree Tribe For Intended For Purchasing Land And Training Young Farmers And Ranchers How To Manage It. “In March, the USDA canceled 49 of 50 Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program grants designed to support ‘underserved’ farmers and ranchers. At least three projects in Montana were affected: Piikani Lodge Health Institute, headquartered on the Blackfeet Reservation, lost a nearly $9 million grant to improve operations for farmers and ranchers in the region. The Chippewa Cree Tribe in north-central Montana lost a nearly $6 million award to purchase land and train young farmers and ranchers how to manage it. And South Dakota-based Four Bands Community Fund lost an $8.5 million grant to train and financially support at least 25 low-income agricultural producers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. At the time, Montana-based awardees said they’d received just fractions of the grant funds and described the terminations as ‘devastating.’” [Montana Free Press, 5/27/26]
• The USDA Canceled $8.5 Million In Land, Capital And Market Access Program Grants For The Four Bands Community Fund To Train And Financially Support At Least 25 Low-Income Agricultural Producers In Montana And Other States. “In March, the USDA canceled 49 of 50 Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program grants designed to support ‘underserved’ farmers and ranchers. At least three projects in Montana were affected: Piikani Lodge Health Institute, headquartered on the Blackfeet Reservation, lost a nearly $9 million grant to improve operations for farmers and ranchers in the region. The Chippewa Cree Tribe in north-central Montana lost a nearly $6 million award to purchase land and train young farmers and ranchers how to manage it. And South Dakota-based Four Bands Community Fund lost an $8.5 million grant to train and financially support at least 25 low-income agricultural producers in Montana, North Dakota, South

Dakota and Wyoming. At the time, Montana-based awardees said they’d received just fractions of the grant funds and described the terminations as ‘devastating.’” [Montana Free Press, 5/27/26]