President Donald Trump on Friday called for a federal investigation into major meatpacking companies, accusing foreign-owned firms of colluding to inflate beef prices in the United States.

In a post on social media, Trump said he had urged the Department of Justice to launch a probe into what he described as “illicit collusion, price fixing, and price manipulation” by large meat processors. He did not provide specific examples of collusion.

The announcement came days after Republican losses in several closely watched elections, where Democrats had centered their campaigns on affordability.

Trump framed the meat issue as one of both economic fairness and national security, saying American ranchers were being unfairly blamed for price hikes. 

“We will always protect our American ranchers,” Trump wrote.

He accused “majority foreign-owned meat packers” of threatening the nation’s food supply by “artificially inflating prices.”