Fear of fallout from Trump tariff plan puts some Republicans in tough spot

President Donald Trump’s announcement of steep new tariffs on foreign allies and rivals alike triggered a stock market sell-off Thursday, upping the pressure on some Republican lawmakers caught between loyalty to the president and unease about the political impact of his plans.

The uncertainty over how Trump’s tariffs will affect the U.S. economy is putting a GOP-led Congress in a bind, as politically vulnerable lawmakers will ultimately pay the price of his decisions. Wednesday’s sweeping announcement also is starting to drive a wedge between the two chambers, with House Republicans largely standing by the president while some in the Senate are working to reclaim Congress’s constitutional authority to levy tariffs.

Hours after global stock markets tumbled, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced a bill Thursday requiring Congress to approve any tariffs within 60 days of their proposal by the president. The legislation would also mandate that the White House provide an analysis of tariffs’ impact on businesses and consumers.

“For too long, Congress has delegated its clear authority to regulate” tariffs, Grassley said in a statement. He argued the bipartisan bill would “reassert Congress’ constitutional role and ensure Congress has a voice in trade policy.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he would back Grassley’s bill if it came up for a vote, but other Republicans expressed skepticism that it could garner enough support to pass. Many Republicans have cheered the new tariffs, and it’s unclear whether Grassley’s bill will even get a vote on the Senate floor.

“I think [Trump has] been pretty clear he wants to negotiate,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said Thursday, echoing Republicans who are holding out hope that foreign countries will drop their tariffs on U.S.-produced goods.

Some Republicans support Trump’s tariffs, argue they will pay off

Some Republican senators and House lawmakers joined Trump at the White House on Wednesday for his speech, where he announced a national emergency that allowed him to unilaterally place a 10 percent tariff on all imports as soon as Saturday. But he also imposed much steeper tariffs on some countries, including rates above 40 percent on Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Madagascar, Myanmar, Lesotho and Sri Lanka.

“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far,” Trump said as he rationalized his decision.

Some Republicans in Congress say they’re willing to give Trump time to show that the tariffs are working. Others have offered more full-throated support, arguing that the short-term pain caused by the tariffs will pay off. That’s a gamble for Republicans who campaigned with Trump on bringing down the price of goods, which economists say the tariffs will drive up.

“We knew this would be disruptive out of the gates a little in the beginning, it would be [a] rocky road,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Fox Business after attending the White House announcement. “No previous president really has had the guts to stand up and do what must be done to fix this disparity. So we would expect the stock market to react in the way it is, but I think it will settle out.”

While House Republicans have been publicly supportive, swaths of them are privately nervous about how Trump’s tariffs will shake out if they become permanent. In interviews with a dozen House Republicans ahead of Trump’s announcement, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the president, Republicans noted that keeping any tariffs in place for the long term could devastate their local economies and that voter anger could jeopardize their narrow majority in the 2026 midterms.

Republican senators have shown skepticism about tariffs

Republican senators have been more openly skeptical. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) offered only cautious praise for the new tariffs after Trump’s speech, noting that he represents a state that is dependent on exports.

“I do appreciate the president’s focus on making sure that we’re getting better deals and giving businesses an incentive to do business here in the United States and create jobs here,” Thune told reporters. “Time will tell.”

Others have already expressed concern. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) described Trump’s move as “kind of a high-risk bet he’s making on the economy,” telling reporters on Wednesday that he thought some of Trump’s own advisers had concerns about the strategy.

“He may be right,” he said, acknowledging that Trump’s bet might pay off. “I don’t know. Trade’s complicated. I can’t game this one out.”

Tillis, who is up for re-election next year in a state Trump carried narrowly in the 2024 presidential race, said Thursday he was concerned the new tariffs could undermine the rest of the Trump agenda. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “better have thought through this war that we’re about to get into,” Tillis said. “It’s on him.”

For Democrats, economic chaos may be chance to retake Congress

Hill Democrats have consistently warned about the impact. But privately, some recognize that economic chaos under the GOP’s watch could increase their chances of retaking Congress in the midterms.

Only one House Democrat, moderate Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), applauded Trump’s 10 percent tariff, which Golden had also proposed in a bill.

Ahead of Trump’s announcement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) joked that Trump’s “Liberation Day” would be “Recession Day,” predicting the measure would “crash the economy.” On Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed that message. “Donald Trump has single-handedly created a financial forest fire,” Schumer said, pointing to the plunging markets.

Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (New York), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced he would introduce a resolution to end “the made up national emergency” that he says “will disproportionately hurt working families.” By introducing his resolution under privilege next week, Meeks will force the GOP majority to take up a vote within two legislative days. House Democrats hope it will show whether Republicans “support the economic pain Trump is inflicting on their constituents.”

Senate Democrats scored a victory hours after Trump’s announcement Wednesday, when Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Rand Paul (Kentucky) voted with Democrats to invalidate a national emergency that Trump declared in February, allowing him to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods.

House Republican leaders included language in a procedural vote last month to prevent the chamber from voting on any proposed bill that would end Trump’s tariff national emergency declaration against Mexico, Canada and China, effectively shielding House Republicans from taking a hard vote that could rebuke the president.

Trump can legally place tariffs on foreign countries by declaring a national emergency, according to the National Constitution Center, and Congress can terminate it by passing a joint resolution.

So far, the momentum to do so is missing. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned why Cantwell and Grassley had introduced their bill now when presidents have had broad powers to impose tariffs for decades.

“It’s not like this is some breach of norms,” Hawley said. “This is the norm.”

Senate Democrats are planning to force Republicans to take more uncomfortable votes on tariffs this week, this time by offering amendments to Republicans’ budget resolution, Schumer said. The resolution is the first step to passing the massive tax bill that is Trump’s top legislative priority. And Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is planning to introduce another resolution to overturn some of the tariffs Trump announced Wednesday. He predicted more Republicans would support it than the four who backed his resolution to undo the Canada tariffs after senators return from a two-week break later this month.

“We’re going to have more momentum after recess because people are going to go home and they’re going to get an earful about this,” Kaine said.