Jul 22, 2019Dan Moss explains ‘Make Potatoes Great Again’ hat from meeting with Trump
When Dan Moss received notification he would represent the potato industry in an agricultural event at the White House, he wanted to make an impression on President Donald Trump.
Moss recalled seeing hats based on Trump’s famous red “Make America Great Again” hat, but with words “Make Potatoes Great Again.” Moss figured such a hat would do the trick, but he didn’t have one in his possession. With little time to prepare, a scramble began to attain one in time to wear to the May 23 event in Washington, D.C., with other members of the agricultural industry.
“I really only got like a day’s notice to book the flight and everything,” Moss said. “Volm Industries made those hats as like a promotional thing.”
Volm was contacted and the folks there hustled to have one quick-shipped to Moss in Washington, D.C. He paired the red and white hat with blue Potatoes USA-logoed shirt to give himself a very patriotic look. The hat caught Trump’s attention.
“Yeah, he liked it,” Moss said, with a chuckle.
The White House event coincided with the Trump administration’s announcement of a $16 billion trade relief package to the U.S. agricultural industries.
Moss, the CEO of the Rupert, Idaho-based Moss Ag, has been a longtime leader within the potato industry. He is a former president of the National Potato Council and served as president of the Potatoes USA board during the 2018-19 season. In addition, he has served as the chairman of the Idaho Potato Commission board.
Moss said he’d been to the White House on a public tour, but this was the first time in any sort of official capacity.
“It was good,” he said. “I appreciated that (President Trump) met with us.”
Members of the press also took note of Moss’s hat. He was highlighted in a Washington Post video (see below), and several news outlets published photos of him, including Getty Images and CBS. One reporter asked Moss if there was a time when potatoes weren’t great.
“Oh no, potatoes have always been great,” he was quoted.
