As I have noted before, Trump views tariffs as leverage, but not everyone seems to think that way.
The prediction that the tariffs were going to destroy the economy has not exactly come true. It has definitely impacted pricing, but it has not been anything close to the disaster we were told it was going to be.
That aside, Republicans are not supporting this, and now Trump is once again vowing revenge and removal against party members who voted to revoke his powers on this front.
This has been a battle from day one, as many in the party treat tariffs like taxes on the American people, and they will not support them.
Going back to October 2025, the Senate had backed a measure that blocked Trump’s tariffs on Brazil.
Five Republicans walked across the aisle to support the legislation, with all of the anti-Trumpers in the party voting with Democrats.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who sponsored the legislation, stated, “Tariffs are a tax on American consumers. Tariffs are a tax on American businesses. And they are a tax that is imposed by a single person: Donald J Trump.”
The golden rule of being the House Speaker and House Whip is that you don’t put legislation on the floor unless you know you can get it passed in your favor, or defeat legislation that will hurt your president.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) broke that rule, and the resolution to block Trump’s tariffs against Canada passed 219-211.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who has been fighting against Trump since he announced he was not running for re-election, was among those who voted with Democrats.
He stated, “I voted on principle. They were trying to do sweeteners for Nebraska, but I said what about the other 49 states?”
Trump is back to threatening members of the party again, a tactic I have openly stated that I do not support, and it is just not working for Trump anymore. He no longer has that grip, so he needs to find a way to play nice with these guys, or he is going to lose even more support.
Instead, Trump threatened all, stating, "Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!"
Here is the thing, though… There are more than two dozen Republicans who have decided to retire at the end of this term, and there are rumors that some may leave before that. These threats are not going to work against them because they have nothing to lose.
The other people voting against Trump, such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have a solid base, and he does not fear Trump’s threats at all. Now, I know a lot of you love the brashness and tough-guy image of Trump, but it’s just not working anymore. As I stated in a report earlier today, Trump needs to stop taking everything so personally and get people back on his side. This is about more than him, and I would hope he understands that.
