GOP breathes secret sigh of relief as courts put brakes on Trump tariffs

The Hill ^ | 05/30/25 5:30 AM ET | by Alexander Bolton

[RandFan]

Republican lawmakers are breathing a sigh of relief that the courts are putting the brakes on President Trump’s trade war, which has pummeled markets, created economic uncertainty and taken a bite out of Trump’s approval ratings.

It’s unclear who will win the final legal battle, which could end up in the Supreme Court.

But Republicans for now are mostly hoping Trump takes a political win in the form of judicial decisions that could hold back his trade war or even put the tariffs on ice.

“I’m sure that Republican senators are secretly rooting for the Supreme Court to uphold the lower-court decision,” said Brian Darling, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide.

He said GOP lawmakers are “quietly applauding the decision” by two courts Wednesday and Thursday to halt Trump’s tariffs “because it saves them from having to deal with the tariff issue, which has proven to be unpopular.”

One Republican who has been vocal in his criticism of the Trump tariffs is Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.).

He applauded the court’s ruling, arguing that the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, exclusive authority to tax imports.

“I have said time and time again that the Founders wanted to prevent one person from having unilateral control and decision-making powers. That’s why the power of the purse and the ability to tax lie with Congress, not the president,” Paul posted on social platform X.

[Fledermaus]

I don’t think we want Congress, who can’t even pass a budget or budgets with regular order, to debate and pass tariff policy and the president can veto.

Chaos.

Probably why Congress delegated the power in 1975.

[Sam Gamgee]

The damage is mostly from the uncertainty as it is from the actual tariffs. What is happening in Canada is firms are laying off workers on fear of the tariffs. Those workers are climbing down the Corporate ladder displacing young workers. Youth employment is at a 2 decade high of 14%.

Now from an American point of view I suppose that proves how dependent Canada is on the US. Other countries - like say Australia - would love to have Canada’s predicament. Instead their closest neighbor is China.