Notable Republicans pushing back against Trump tariffs

Donald Trump has been pushing tariffs not only against our enemy nations but also some of our allies.

I understand he is doing this to create leverage, but there are quite a few Republicans who are starting to push the panic button, including Trump allies.

Kennedy Pushes Back

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) is among the Trump allies who are starting to get worried about the Trump tariffs, and for good reason.

Whether you understand what Trump is doing or not, people are panicking because some vendors are already raising prices in anticipation of the tariffs, and it is hitting Americans in the pocket even harder.

Senator Kennedy stated, “I think President Trump on economics and otherwise is doing very well, but you remember the old saying: ‘The danger of rising high is that the air gets thin.’ I’m worried about the tariffs. I’m not saying that tariffs are going to cause inflation. President Trump did them in his first term, and they didn’t.

“I’m saying that we just don’t know, and we’re in very obscure territory. We’re in uncharted waters. I think if the tariffs do start to cause inflation, I think the president will back away from them.”

Rand Paul Says Tariffs Hurting Constituents

Paul took the approach I mentioned above, and he is right. It is hard to tell people to take it on the chin and it will get better when that is what they have heard for most of the last four years.

To that point, he explained, “Almost every industry in Kentucky has come to me and said, ‘It will hurt our industry and push up prices of homes, cars,’ and so, I’m going to continue to argue against tariffs.”

Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) also expressed concern, suggesting that Trump is losing this battle. He stated, “When we start losing, you back off. There’s such a thing as strategic retreat.”

Trump has since backed off, delaying most of the tariffs for another month, but Canada decided to keep its tariffs in place, which is not sitting well with Trump or Republicans.

Murkowski Chimes In

Senator Murkowski (R-AK) has also chimed in against Trump policies, but she is blasting the DOGE moves against USAID, which tells you all you need to know about her.

Murkowski expressed her concerns over USAID workers in her state, explaining, “They not only informed me of the confusing and callous handling of personnel matters by [the Office of Personnel Management] and DOGE, but they also painted an incredibly troubling picture of what the world looks like without humanitarian assistance from the United States.

“Although I support measures to find inefficiencies within the agency, USAID’s mission to keep people healthy and safe in even the most remote corners of the world should not be eliminated.”

Notice how she failed to note that it was not the legitimate aid projects that stand to be cut, but the partisan Democrat projects being funneled money as well as organizations with ties to terrorist organizations. And if they happen to be fronted as a humanitarian group, well, tough cookies. The fact that Murkowski is cherry-picking her defense sickens me. I just hope the people of Alaska can see this for what it really is.