Senate Republicans should be at a competitive crossroads. They’ll have to choose between siding with Democrats to stand up against President Donald Trump’s out of control tariff agenda. Known as a “tariff man,” Trump believes that levies on foreign goods serve as a solution to various economic challenges. What’s telling is just how jittery these tariff-happy policies are making many Americans. Consequently, GOP senators are taking second looks on the topic.
A national survey just completed for The Guardian illustrates that dramatic change in the public mindset. Millions of Americans have been concerned about the extensive use of tariffs. A new poll from the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research underscores that anxiety. It shines a light on just how dim things are for Trump, showing that less than four in ten Americans approve of his approach to the economy and trade.
The Trump administration has been more aggressive in targeting imports from Canada. Their claim is that raising tariffs is absolutely necessary to prevent more fentanyl from crossing our northern border. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is in full agreement with this perspective. He argues that tariffs can be used as a first-responder negotiating tool that needs to address the public health crisis.
Counter intuitive rationale notwithstanding, this agreement has led some Republican senators to a deep tension between party allegiance and economic principle. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has voiced apprehension about the adverse effects these tariffs may have on Canadian goods. Likewise, Senator Susan Collins of Maine has called the imposition of tariffs on Canada a “huge mistake,” warning it could lead to significant disruptions in both nations’ economies.
Trump promises that these same tariffs will “liberate” Americans from their dependency on foreign-made products. His administration’s position has upended the traditional Republican orthodoxy on free trade, leaving the party divided. A handful of GOP senators now find themselves torn between supporting a policy they fundamentally disagree with or opposing the president’s directives.
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia is trying to change that with the introduction of a new resolution. This resolution would finally terminate the emergency order that Trump is abusing to impose tariffs against Canadian imports. Kaine has described Trump’s tariffs as the “largest sales tax ever in the history of the United States,” emphasizing the potential financial burden placed on consumers.
The economic impact of these tariffs is inarguably severe, but the political implications are just as critical. We applaud the House for taking strong action to prevent attempts to rescind President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. They accomplished this by adding important language in their short term funding bill. This legislative maneuver complicates the situation for Republican senators who wish to challenge the president without risking backlash from their constituents or party leadership.
Tensions are escalating between the US and China over tariff policy. GOP senators, if they do hold their votes, face a treacherous gauntlet lined with diverging stakeholders and popular will. Fairness Trump’s approach to trade problems produces growing frustration. This has the potential to produce real tension within Republicans’ ranks between party loyalty and the interests of their constituents.