GOP senators express alarm over scale of Trump tariffs [View all]

Source: The Hill

04/04/25 6:00 AM ET


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. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said he’s hearing from farmers in Kansas who are worried they’re going to get hit hard by retaliatory tariffs from foreign trading partners. “Most Kansans, including agriculture, which is so affected, I think they were expecting something less dramatic,” he said.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5231295-trump-tariffs-reaction-republicans/