It has officially been a month since President Trump upended both the American and world economy by declaring far-reaching tariffs on nearly every nation on Earth. The initial impact was immediate. Leaders of countries around the world, ally and enemy alike, were scrambling to figure out what was going on and form new alliances and trade deals in the freshly altered global trade landscape. Fears of a recession domestically and abroad were stoked. The stock market initially tanked, though it has since rebounded in the last 30 days and most company’s stock prices are now sitting roughly where they were before so-called “Liberation Day” – albeit a few notable examples.
Still, the long-term effects of Trump’s tariff policy have yet to be felt and much is still up in the air as the administration continues to negotiate amid the ongoing global trade war. Fears of higher prices for consumers have been stoked as reports of emptying docks and shipyards have begun to trickle in. No one yet knows what the future holds for certain but (if their stock portfolios are any indication) sometimes looking to congressional leaders and what they are saying can be as good a guiding light as any. So, with tariff and economic uncertainty still in the air, what have congressional leaders been saying about President Trump’s tariffs now that they have been effect for approximately a month?
1. Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA)
Representative Mike Johnson is currently the Speaker of the House for the United States House of Representative and the leader of the Republican house conference. He replaced previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after a concerted effort from members of the Republican Freedom Caucus for not entirely aligning with them on several issues including not derailing an investigation into Florida Representative Matt Gaetz. As the Republican leader of the House, Johnson is a staunch Trump ally and is responsible for convincing members of his party to push the Trump administration’s priorities.
“We had a $1.2 trillion dollar trade deficit in 2024. I don’t think that’s fair to our country, I think the American people understand that, and I think they see a president who is engaging to fix that, so we are going to give him the space necessary to do it.”
Even has he has faced a trifecta of opposition from Democrats, business leaders, and members of his own party, Johnson has encouraged both fellow Republicans and the general public to have trust in Trump and hold the line on tariffs. He has thus far staunchly supported the president’s policies and been one of his most stalwart defenders. Still, as members of his own party have floated the idea of legislation to block Trump’s tariffs, Speaker Johnson’s support has shown some signs of cracking. He has recently signaled willingness to support a bill that would block some amount of the tariffs if Trump doesn’t indicate that we will back down soon and pressure continues to mount.
“I think the executive has a broad array of authority that has been recognized over the years. If it gets close to where the imbalance is there, then we would step in.” – Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)
2. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont who ran for president as a Democrat in 2016 and 2020, has been a vocal critic of Trump since the first administration. This has been even more true since the president’s second election. Recently, Senator Sanders has joined other left-leaning congressional leaders like Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on a ‘Fighting Oligarchy Tour’ across the United States where they have filled stadiums and drawn crowds of thousands opposing Trump’s deportations of immigrants to El Salvador, crackdowns on the first amendment, support of Israel, and trade policies like excessive tariffs. At these rallies he have frequently spoken out against the implementation of Trump’s tariffs in comments like the following where he states:
“Trump’s blanket tariffs will just raise prices for American consumers and hurt our relationships with allies, undermining our global position. Trump’s trade chaos – changing policy from day to day – is rapidly undermining our economy and making it impossible for households and small businesses to function. How can you plan for next week, let alone next year, when the rules might change tomorrow? People in my home state of Vermont are hurting.“
Still, Senator Sanders is not against tariffs across-the-board. He has, in the past, argued that some tariffs and protectionist trade policies can be beneficial to American workers and companies and has been a vocal and voracious critic against free-trade agreements like NAFTA. His criticisms mostly stems from the chaotic nature of the tariffs and the way they have been applied seemingly haphazardly. Recently he clarified his position on tariffs in a CNN town hall stating:
“Tariffs, used selectively, are a good idea. But to arbitrarily, out of nowhere, come up with a tariff that they can’t justify or explain to virtually every country on Earth is absolutely counterproductive.” – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
3. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)
Son of the famed libertarian congressman from Texas, Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), Rand Paul has served as a liaison for President Trump to the libertarian wing of the party that has some times bumped heads with the president due to his penchant for big spending and expansion of the powers of the executive branch – both taboo for true-believer libertarians. As such, Rand Paul has been one of the more vocal Republican opponents to tariffs stretching back even to the more limited tariffs Trump established in his first administration.
“I haven’t had a single business person or individual in my state come up to me and say that the tariffs are a good idea.”
Recently, Senator Paul has taken things one step further from simply criticizing the president’s tariffs and has even introduced legislation in the Senate that would block some of the tariffs from taking effect. He believes that the president has overstepped his constitutional authority as is specifically using it to decimate free trade which is an ideal that is sacred to his libertarian roots. The junior senator from Kentucky has been on a media blitz lately to garner support for his preposed bills to claw back trade powers from President Trump and give them back to congress where he feels they belong. Even as a traditional of president Trump, he has hit out hard against the tariffs believe they will harm American consumers and businesses around the country.
“”I am a supporter of Donald Trump but this is a bipartisan problem. I don’t care if the president is a Republican or a Democrat. I don’t want to live under emergency rule. I don’t want to live where my representative can’t speak for my and have a check and balance on power. One person can make a mistake; and guess what? Tariffs are a terrible mistake. They don’t work; they will lead to higher prices; they are a tax; and they have historically been bad for our economy.” – Sen Rand Paul (R-KY)
4. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
There has been no stronger cheerleader for President Trump than outspoken Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene – and that includes tariffs. Representative Greene has not once faltered in her support for the tariffs and frequently goes out of her way to declare her admiration for the president and his trade policy. She is 100% behind Trump and has complete faith in his ability to steer the country in the right direction no matter what decision he makes. She champions the tariffs as an extension of Trump’s ‘America First’ policy that attracted her to the president in the first place.
“Tariffs are a powerful proven source of leverage to protect our national interests. We will win this trade war.”
As the stock market initially began to tank following the announcement of the tariffs, Representative Greene encouraged Americans to stay the course and believe in Trump. She even bought tens of thousands of dollars worth of stocks herself while the market was at a historic following the “Liberation Day” tariff announcements. This turned into a substantial profit when the market rebounded as Trump announced some temporary tariff relief later that week. She acknowledges that this will be a shock to the economic system and may cause some economic hardships for Americans but believes difficult times are necessary to fundamental change the system in a way that will bring wealth to America in the long-term writing on Twitter:
“We are in so much debt, an almost inconceivable number, we cannot afford to be the world’s piggy bank. We need to start making things in America, reopen factories, and bring jobs back to communities decimated by globalist policies. It’s time to Make America Wealthy Again!” – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
5. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
As the 24th longest serving congressman, Chuck Schumer has served in various leadership roles for the Democratic party over his nearly 45-year tenure. He has served as the current Senate minority leader since the beginning of the year when the Republicans flipped the Senate and took control having previously served as Senate President for the previous four years. As the leader of the congressional Democrats, Schumer has spoken out against Trump’s tariffs (and most of Trump’s policies) lamenting the effects of the “Liberation Day” tariffs on everyday Americans:
“Americans are anxious. Nobody looking at their retirement accounts today is feeling anything close to liberated. It has been a hellacious few days for people worried about their 401ks and their savings and their kids’ future. And that’s not changing any time soon. Before things get worse, Donald Trump should immediately reverse his reckless trade war. He should halt his tariff tax at once.” – Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
In opposition to the tariffs, Schumer has even attempted to ally with some of his typical political adversaries including Republicans in the Senate wary of the tariffs’ effects on the economy and business. Most recently, he co-authored a bipartisan bill in the Senate with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in an attempt to block the tariffs. Though he was able to rally some Republicans in the Senate towards supporting the bill like Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-MN), it was ultimately defeated 49-49 after Trump threatened any Republican who voted for it and vowed to veto the bill if it came across his desk.
6. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Conversely, many of Trump’s strongest allies have circled the wagons and begun to fiercely defend the tariffs and block any attempts to legislatively neuter them – Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio is one such ally. The former wrestling coach has gone to the mats to defend Trump’s economic policy criticizing other Republicans for breaking with President Donald Trump and calling out the hypocrisy of other nations criticizing U.S. tariffs whilst having tariffs of their own on various American goods and industries:
“If tariffs are so bad, why don’t they just get rid of them on our products?”
The right-wing representative has continued to fight for Trump’s tariffs even as other Republicans have started to fold to pressure from businesses, world leaders, and even their own constituents. He believes that both falling stocks and rising prices on consumer goods will eventually level out over time and Americans need to simply weather the storm and trust Trump as he works to correct historic trade imbalances declaring on Twitter after “Liberation Day”:
“Americans trust President Trump on the economy!” – Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
7. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Conversely, the longest serving Republican congressman of over 50 years and Senate President Chuck Grassley of Iowa has been more wary of how the tariffs could affect the economy and, in particular, the farmers he represents in his home state of Iowa. He was particularly concerned about the effects of tariffs on Canadian potash which Iowan farmers are reliant upon to fertilize their fields, pleading with the president for exceptions for the agricultural industry in his state. He has also co-sponsored legislation that would limit presidential authority to enact widespread tariffs like President Trump has stating:
“I’ve made very clear throughout my public service that I’m a free and fair trader. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. I believe that Congress delegated too much authority to the president in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Trade Act of 1974.”
Still, Grassley has hedged his bets by not coming out too strongly against the president and has worked to block legislation rolling back the tariffs from members of his own party like Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) even as he attempts to prevent the president from having the power to enact rolling tariffs like this again in the future. Though he personally believes the tariffs will damage the U.S. economy he is willing to concede that he may be wrong telling consituents of his back in Iowa:
“If they work, I’ll say ‘amen’. If they don’t work, I’ll say ‘I told you so'”. – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
8. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
Co-headlining the ‘Fighting Oligarchy Tour’ across the country with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is the young outspoken representative from New York known nationwide by simply her initials – AOC. Representative Ocasio-Cortez has made opposing and speaking out against President Donald Trump a cornerstone of her rising brand and her stance on his tariffs are no different. She condemns his economic policy as further means of enriching the elite and wealthy among us whilst decimating the American working and middle classes.
“Trump is all about making inflation WORSE for middle class Americans, not better. He’s lining the pockets of himself and the billionaire class.”
She has consistently hit out on how the widespread tariffs will most negatively impact poor and working class Americans who have already been struggling over the last few decades. The young representative believes that the tariffs will only exacerbate the problem and continue to widen the gap between the rich and poor in this country. She has even speculated that the chaotic nature of the tariff rollout may have been intentionally designed as an insider-trading scheme to allow Trump-aligned individuals to profit off the uncertainty. Ocasio-Cortez specifically called this out and reiterated a call for a ban on congressional stock trading after it was reported that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) had made a significant profit after purchasing tens of thousands of dollars of stocks following the stock market crash writing on her Twitter:
“Any member of Congress who purchased stocks in the last 48 hours should probably disclose that now. We’re about to learn a few things. It’s time to ban insider trading in Congress.” – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
9. Senator Angus King (I-MN)
Angus King serves as one of the only two independent members of the senate alongside Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). He has maintained his independence without joining either political party even since he was first elected to the Senate in 2012. Senator King has spoken out against the way President Trump has implemented tariffs and how they will affect the American economy first initial releasing a statement following their rollout that read, in part:
“Today the White House announced sweeping new tariffs that will upend our economy, increase the cost of consumer goods, and isolate the United States on the global stage.”
Since then, he has only worked to continue to oppose the tariffs and their implementation. Most notably he worked with Republican and fellow Senator Susan Collins (R-MN) to try to introduce legislation to rollback the tariffs though it was blocked by other pro-tariff Republicans in the Senate. King released a joint letter with fellow Maine lawmakers Sen. Susan Collins (R-MN) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-MN) with the Democrat, Independent, Republican trifecta condemning the tariffs and their impact on Maine families and businesses:
“We acknowledge that targeted and strategic tariffs can be an important tool to address unfair trade practices. However, small businesses and families in Maine and across the country will be caught in the middle during a time when so many are struggling to put food on the table and keep the lights on.” – Sen. Angus King (I-MN), Sen. Susan Collins (R-MN), & Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-MN)
10. Senator John Thune (R-SD)
As the Republican Senate Majority Leader, it is Senator John Thune’s job to ensure that President Trump’s economic agenda in not thwarted by congress – particularly when it is the President’s own party that currently holds the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Thune has defended Trump’s tariff policy and encouraged his fellow Republican lawmakers to do the same. This is despite his own personal reservations about tariffs previously stating that Trump’s blanket tariff policy proposals worried him in 2024:
“I get concerned when I hear we just want to uniformly impose a 10% or 20% tariff on everything that comes into the United States.”
Still, Thune has managed to suppress those misgivings and put them aside in order to become one of their greatest defenders in the Senate just a year later. He has even squashed attempts from members of his own party to address the tariffs encouraging Republican senators to vote against a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and refusing to even let another one headed by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) be voted on for fear of displeasing the president. When asked about his previous statements critical of tariffs like Trump has imposed, Thune emphased trusting the President through what he described as a ‘wait and see’ approach to how they will affect Americans and the economy.
“I think he deserves the opportunity to see what kind of deals he can get from some of our trading partners and I think most of us are giving him the space in which to do that.” – Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
Well, I guess now we all just have to wait and see.