Republicans are already freaking out after realizing they'll get what they voted for. Donald campaigned on tariffs. He's obsessed with them, even though they are a consumer tax. But they placated him, and here we are with our economy in shambles.
Via Politico:
Trump has promised his rollout of global tariffs on April 2 will amount to a "Liberation Day" for the American economy. But dozens of GOP lawmakers worry privately that another round of tariffs will raise prices on U.S. consumers, cripple American farmers and rattle the stock market.
The stock market is already tumbling, but OK.
In anticipation, they are coordinating with various industry groups to push the administration for exemptions that protect key local industries from that kind of pain. They're also trying to effectively void some of the tariffs on key products once they go into effect, lining up to push Trump officials for so-called exclusions.
Their quiet maneuvering signals the heightened anxiety among Republicans about the next phase of his trade wars — and the political pitfalls ahead for the president and his party. Four Republicans with direct knowledge of the strategy, granted anonymity to discuss the private conversations, described the behind-the-scenes planning as concerted and targeted.
Fueling their anxiety: GOP lawmakers don't yet know the full scope of what Trump has dubbed "reciprocal tariffs" and possibly other duties the White House is preparing to unveil Wednesday. The president and top aides have said they will calculate different tariff rates for the country's major trading partners, based on the barriers other countries put on U.S. imports. But they have yet to detail any figures or say which countries will be hit — and even many White House aides remain in the dark.
As they attempt to head off the worst of the initial hit from the reciprocal tariffs, some congressional Republicans are coordinating with powerful private sector groups as well as conservative-leaning agriculture lobbyists and other representatives of affected industries. The hope is to pressure administration officials to limit the tariffs' scope and incorporate key carve-outs ahead of time.
They voted for this shit show. Enjoy it, GOP! They were warned, and the leopards are hungry. When are Republicans going to learn that he "couldn't care less"? Are we great yet?
