Posted on 03/26/2025 8:59:52 PM PDT by RandFan
Senate Republicans had gathered for one of their regular private lunches last Wednesday when Rand Paul commanded their attention.
As Senators sipped diet sodas and grazed on sandwiches, the Kentucky lawmaker went through a slide deck with charts and statistics in service of a bold proposal: come out against President Trump’s tariffs.
The arguments in Paul's presentation, which has not been previously reported, were not a surprise to his audience.
One of the most prominent libertarians on Capitol Hill, he’s a fierce proponent of free trade. But his attempt to corral colleagues against the Trump trade agenda was seen as a provocation to the President’s close allies. “The public feels like free trade has sold us out,” Paul said, according to two Senators who were present, “but Americans are richer because of it.” Claiming that free trade agreements have spurred upward social mobility, one of his slides asserted that the middle class has shrunk in recent years only because more people had moved into the upper class.
“Basically, he was saying that everyone was getting richer during Joe Biden’s presidency,” one Senator tells TIME.
For some in the room, Paul’s rebellion reflected their deep unease over Trump’s protectionism, which has rattled stock markets, shaken consumer confidence, and strained America’s relationships with its allies. Economists now fear the U.S. is heading into a recession. But for many others, it was heresy. Tariffs are not only a Trumpian fixation, they were one of his core campaign pledges and a bedrock of his plan to reshore manufacturing jobs back to the United States. To that end, Paul was asking them to undermine the President, a political suicide mission given Trump's grip over the GOP base. .
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Fair Trade [equal tariffs] should resolve into Free Trade.
It’s only a matter of time.
Sorry, but you are wrong.
The Tariffs are a key part of MAGA.
He most certainly is making himself an enemy of MAGA!!
That’s right, free trade is a myth, most countries have tariffs to protect their industries, free trade only works when both countries play by the same rules, the way around this issue is for both sides to go to zero tariffs, which is unlikely
Agreed...but to get there we need to play hardball.
Maybe help their industry in ame way farmers are helped with tariff monies.
Hate bourbon…. Stinks on the breath of those imbibing.
Something to consider is :the source. Time will spin any and every story to put Trump in the worst possible light. If Sen. Paul is getting hammered at home, it will likely be a short term hit. India has folded, the EU has cut auto tariffs from 12.5% to 2.5%; Audi is now looking to move production to the USA to avoid tariffs.
It’s a common theme here, we tariff them, they take positive steps to avoid the new tariffs. I’m sure the EU will cooperate sooner than later. Rand and his constituents will make peace and Time.com will be shown to be full of crap, again.
My 2¢
Ed
I find that Trump loves Tariffs as a way to tax people with a consumption tax to help reduce the Fed deficit while promoting higher growth for the nation in the long run.
[the only way to reduce the outrageous Debt.]
These are not tariffs to subsidize the US, Rand. Smh. The cognitive dissonance is strong there, with pseudo libertarians always subsidizing socialist countries and not checking their own preferential tariff schemes.
And as a way to NOT subsidize foreign socialist nations. Paul is a pseudo libertarian. The real Ayne Rand is rolling in her grave.
If Americans that normally drink Scotch, Cognac, or other imported spirits; switch to American Bourbon, Whiskey an other USA made spirits! We will be fine. And I say this as someone who is not a big fan of this trade war. But I am an American, and if this is a war, we need to come together and win it. BUY AMERICAN. I don't care if you prefer some foo foo imported spirit, wine or beer, BUY AMERICAN!
Another Linda...
Rand Paul has always been more flaky than a bad paint job.
they can send their bourbon to NC. its tough finding buffalo trace
Hey Rand, time to STFU and get on the MAGA wagon now.
he’s a fierce proponent of free trade
So when folks like the euroweenies use tariffs against us, as they have for years, thats “free trade” to him?
Retaliatory and punitive tariffs may work to our great advantage in the long run.
While Rand has some admirable qualities, he is often too rigid to be useful in incrementally changing the way Washington does things. Free Trade is a myth. It only exists if there are no barriers or restrictions. That’s not the case presently, and will always be the proverbial pipe dream.
Wonder what percent of bourbon is exported?
Bourbon can only be true bourbon if its from Kentucky.
We can make any foreign liquor in the US and it would probably taste better.
Libertarian types were always opposed to tariffs.
I think he's wrong here, but I do not hold it against him.
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