That…. As he dig’s the Country, Republicans and more into that SAME Hole….
He pointed to electoral peril for the GOP.
“Tariffs have also led to political decimation,” Paul told reporters. “When [William] McKinley most famously put tariffs on in 1890, they lost 50 percent of their seats in the next election. When [Sens. Reed Smoot and Willis C. Hawley] put on their tariff in the early 1930s, we lost the House and the Senate for 60 years.
“So they’re not only bad economically; they’re bad politically.”
This is a good point.
Whatever the theoretical economic benefits of major tariffs, history shows they have coincided with huge losses for the Republicans — and it has almost always been Republicans — who pursue them.
That history looms large right now as a Republican Party that has defined itself by free trade in recent decades has suddenly been confronted with Trump’s historic protectionism — and the apparent economic shock it is primed to cause….
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The kinds of changes we saw in the early 1890s and 1930s would also seem very unlikely. Our country is just that much more polarized these days, with fewer winnable swing voters.
But if there’s one thing that can get lawmakers’ attention and spur them into action, it’s when they feel their own careers or their own party’s majorities are imperiled.
That makes Paul’s argument as potent as any when it comes to persuading his party to resist this — however unlikely that might be in a party so thoroughly dominated by Trump….
Ted Cruz…
Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz is warning about major risks for the American economy and its automotive industry thanks to President Donald Trump’s trade war, saying it could result in the biggest tax hike in a “long, long time.”
“I’m seeing a lot of Republican cheerleaders reflexively defending what the White House is doing,” Cruz said on his podcast Friday, but cautioned the administration’s latest actions could “hurt jobs and hurt America.
Cruz added he is “not a fan” of tariffs.
The alarm bells from Cruz, a Texas Republican who has called himself Trump’s “strongest supporter” in the Senate, reflects growing unease among Republicans about Trump’s tariff crusade and the impact it could have on prices for consumers and, consequently, the GOP’s political prospects….
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His comments suggest the dam could be breaking among Republicans on this issue — even among those who consider themselves staunch Trump allies — as the economic and political fallout from the president’s trade war crystallizes…
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Congressional GOPer’s ‘Alarm’ over their party leader’s effort to get them fired by voters…
Republican senators are expressing varying degrees of shock and alarm at the scale of President Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs against trading partners and allies, which sent stock markets into a tailspin Thursday and fueled predictions the country is heading for a recession.
Republicans knew Trump’s announcement on a new round of tariffs — dubbed “Liberation Day” — was coming, but the sweeping nature of Trump’s bold action is sparking a panic among constituents at home.
Republicans from agricultural states are particularly concerned as they worry that U.S.-produced farm products are likely to be targeted first by retaliatory tariffs from trading partners.
Then there’s a general concern that Trump’s tariffs will likely further drive up the price of consumer goods at a time when many Americans are fed up with inflation, which was a driving factor behind Republican victories in the 2024 election.
“There’s a lot that I certainly don’t know,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said. “How long are they going to last? There’s a lot of uncertainty.
“One of the things that I’m hearing from folks back home is they’re certainly afraid about what it’s going to mean for price increases, very afraid about that,” she said….
…
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) introduced a bill Thursday with Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell (Wash.) to require the president to notify Congress of new or higher tariffs within a 48-hour time frame and to explain to lawmakers the reasoning for such tariffs. It would also require Congress to pass a joint resolution of approval within 60 days or those new tariffs would expire….
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“How do you do that if you have to buy the equipment that’s going to be subject to a tariff, in terms of making the business case?” he said.
In terms of politics, Tillis said: “If it works, it will be fabulous. If it doesn’t work, it’s going to be fabulous for the other side,” referring to Democrats.
Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of four Republican senators who voted Wednesday for a resolution to undo Trump’s 25 percent tariff against Canada, said Trump shouldn’t treat allies the same as adversaries when it comes to levying tariffs.
“In general, one of my biggest concerns is we should be distinguishing between our allies and our adversaries and not treat them the same way,” she said….
Note….
Donald Trump’s problem is he doesn’t know when to stop….
Republican DC lawmakers are beginning to get together enough votes to cutain some of Trump’s Tariff power….
Stay tuned….
Yeah
If they don’t?
They gonna LOSE their jobs
And if they do?
Trump will eat them up and spit them out.
I disagree ….
He WILL walk away from them like he ALWAUYS does when he’s finish with his mess-ups…..
Nonsensical
Bonus Quote of the Day
“This is the biggest self-inflicted wound we’ve put on our economy in history… Until we have a reversal, I think we’re going to have a real problem.”
—Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, quoted by Politico.