GOP deeply divided over Trump’s tariffs

CNNs Manu Raju discussed president-elect Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs against Mexico and Canada with his panel on Thursday, which also included Semafor’s congressional bureau chief Burgess Everett. Everett highlighted the “great divide” within the Republican Party between Trump’s more protectionist, isolationist wing of the party and veteran Republican lawmakers who are staunch free traders.

Raju started the discussion by noting, “One of those things, this conversation with the Mexican president Of course, she said on Truth Social that she had agreed to effectively close our southern border. That’s not true what she said she agreed.”

“But it’s just a reminder of the state of affairs in terms of border crossings, illegal border crossings. They’re actually down significantly from their peak late last year in December, all the way up to now, and a lot of it stems from Biden’s executive orders that were the result of a lot of pressure and the inability to act in Congress. But this is classic Trump, right? He is going to claim victory even if victory had happened before he did anything,” Raju explained.

Everett replied, “Not only that, but these look like those two. If you could look at the two important issues for Donald Trump. He hesitates on many policy issues, but the border and tariffs are not those issues and tariffs. He has been consistent.”

“He’s been saying it since 1990, 2000 and the like!” Raju interrupted.

“Right. And in his first presidency we saw that he would follow through on these measures, not only against other countries like China, but also against the allies in Europe with the steel and aluminum tariffs. So if he threatens these things, people should take him seriously. Now, even if members of his own party want him to use them as leverage instead of following through,” Everett added.

“I mean, are you expecting much pushback from Republicans on tariffs? I mean, this should be a party of free traders. This used to be Bush’s policy of pushing for a free trade policy, but now it is clearly very different. But if you talk to Republicans on the Hill, will they argue against this?” Raju followed.

“I mean, the party has changed, but it is a party in transition, especially in the Senate, where you and I spend a lot of our time. These people were there, many of them in Congress twenty years ago. They are still free traders, many of them. So there is a big gap,” Everett responded, adding:

And I don’t think Trump is president yet at this point. It is quite unclear whether he will implement these tariffs immediately. So whatever the Republicans are going to say, he’s just using this for bargaining power. He’s just using this as leverage to crack down on border crossings and prevent fentanyl from entering the country.

But we also know that he will continue to do so. And I don’t think the Republicans want that from him, because politically that’s probably the biggest opening for the Democrats. If, as Eva talked about, Trump’s actions and raising prices are going to destroy the economy, things like that, that could be it. can turn the fortunes of the Democratic Party around far more than these moments of introspection they are currently experiencing.

Watch the clip above via CNN.