PoliticsMitch McConnell Condemns Donald Trump's Controversial Global Tariff Plan: 'Trade Wars With Our Partners Hurt Working People'
Mitch McConnell voted against Donald Trump's tariff plan.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) privately told Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) he plans to back the Virginia Democrat's resolution to undo President Donald Trump's Canada tariffs.
Several other notable Republicans in Congress have joined the senior senator to speak out against the commander-in-chief over his controversial universal tariff plan.
Mitch McConnell and a number of Republicans turned on Donald Trump.
McConnell has previously spoken out against Trump's recent policies regarding the tariffs he threatened against Canada and Mexico, two of the United States' biggest trade partners, and has even voted with Democrats to undo them.
"Indeed, it’s high time for America’s closest neighbors to take the crisis at our border seriously. But no matter our best intentions, tariffs are bad policy," McConnell wrote in a February 12 op-ed for the Louisville Courier Journal. "Republicans ought to be clear-eyed about the full, unadulterated impact of tariffs as we work to restore sound fiscal policy to our government."
"Preserving the long-term prosperity of American industry and workers requires working with our allies, not against them," he continued. "Trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. And the president has better tools to protect American workers without forcing our families and businesses to absorb higher costs."
McConnell, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rand Paul (R-KY) are expected to vote for the measure, which would end the national emergency Trump declared earlier this year to justify his new plan to slap 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports.
Donald Trump announced his plan to tariff several countries.
At a recent press conference, Kaine said other Republicans are also reaching out to him to get information on the resolution, indicating the number of GOP supporters may grow.
The Virginia senator also said the president's announcement about a new wave of tariffs, which is expected to take place prior to the Senate resolution vote, "could increase pressure for more [Republicans] to join."
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Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump have butted heads several times over the years.
During a nearly hour-long event at the Rose Garden, President Trump presented a list of countries along with purported tariffs they were charging the U.S.
According to various reports, the information cited was based on "utterly fraudulent data." The presentation included terms like "Tariffs Charged to the U.S.A." and "U.S.A. Discounted Reciprocal Tariffs," which raised questions about the accuracy of the information provided.
Mitch McConnell plans to retire once his term is over.
McConnell kept his promise to Kaine and voted for his Senate resolution to repeal the emergency declaration that allowed Trump to place tariffs on Canada.
The measure passed 51-48. However, the resolution is unlikely to pass in the Republican-held House and even less likely to be signed into law by Trump.
As OK! previously reported, McConnell announced on February 20 that he doesn't plan to seek reelection in 2026 after suffering a number of worrisome health issues.
