Senate RINOs Turn on Trump to Undo Key Policy, But Then a Republican Colleague Points Out the Obvious
On Wednesday, four Republican senators sided with Democrats to pass a resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, aimed at challenging former President Donald Trump’s policy on tariffs against Canada.
The crucial term here — “designed” — highlights the resolution’s real intent, as it holds no actual power to limit the president’s authority.
Republican Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso criticized his colleagues for engaging in what he saw as an empty political move.
“Sen. Kaine’s goal was not to make law. It was simply an effort to undermine President Trump’s successful work to secure the Northern Border,” Barrasso stated, according to Fox News.
Trump has defended his tariffs on Canada, pointing to the country’s weak border security, which he argues has allowed dangerous substances like fentanyl to flood into the U.S.
Barrasso also expressed confidence that the resolution would meet a dead end in the House of Representatives.
“Speaker Johnson already declared Sen. Kaine’s resolution dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. It will never make it to President Trump’s desk,” Barrasso continued. “This meaningless messaging resolution will not stop Senate Republicans from making America’s communities safer.”
Early Wednesday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to denounce the four GOP senators who supported the resolution.
The lawmakers in question—Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul—faced Trump’s public rebuke, with the former president labeling them “unbelievably disloyal.”
Trump also reinforced Barrasso’s confidence in the resolution’s demise.
“The Senate Bill is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans, namely these four, in that it is not going anywhere because the House will never approve it and I, as your President, will never sign it,” Trump wrote.
Among the four Republican defectors, three are no surprise. Collins, Murkowski, and McConnell have consistently opposed Trump, making their participation in this effort expected.
However, Paul’s stance is more complex.
“I think tariffs on trade between U.S. and Canada will threaten our country with a recession. I think they’re a terrible idea economically and will lead to higher prices. Tariffs are simply taxes. Republicans used to be and conservatives, in particular, used to be against new taxes,” Paul stated, per Fox.
Paul’s libertarian leanings give him a degree of credibility, given his history of challenging figures like former COVID policy chief Anthony Fauci. Unlike the other three, his concerns cannot be dismissed outright.
Yet, Trump’s position aligns more closely with historical precedent. The Founding Fathers, including James Madison, viewed tariffs as a tool of economic leverage.
While tariffs do act as a tax, if they were solely or even primarily a tax burden on the public, would the revolutionary generation—known for their aversion to taxation—have embraced them so extensively? The Founders avoided an income tax, relying instead on tariffs as a means of influencing foreign powers.
Additionally, Paul’s claim that Republicans have always opposed tariffs does not align with history. From 1870 until World War II, the Republican Party strongly supported tariffs as a key part of its economic policy.
In the end, the four GOP defectors have accomplished little beyond making a symbolic statement. Trump remains in a strong position, backed by historical precedent, and will likely emerge victorious.