(CNN) Republicans from a series of key states with large agriculture and livestock industries pushed President Donald Trump on Thursday to address their concerns with his recent trade rhetoric, seeking concessions to protect crop and livestock producers from a possible trade war with China.

Trump has engaged in a tit-for-tat trade escalation with China for the last month, with each country promising to impose tariffs on imported products from each country. While Trump has focused his ire on steel, aluminum and cracking down on intellectual property violations by China, the Chinese have taken aim at politically powerful industries like soybean farmers, pork and beef producers and citrus growers.

The trade escalation has rattled even staunchly pro-Trump Republicans from farm states, leading many to question the President's rhetoric on China and asking him to consider the repercussions.

"Hopefully the President is just blowing off steam again but, if he's even half-serious, this is nuts," Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, said earlier this month in response to the tit-for-tat with China. "This is the dumbest possible way" to confront the country.

On Thursday, Trump met face to face with Sasse and some of those lawmakers who were critical of his decision. According to lawmakers in attendance, the back and forth was frank and direct and the lawmakers pressed on the collateral damage farmers could become in a trade war with China.

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