Republicans pick the worst hill to die on - Daily Kos

Congressional Cowards is a weekly series highlighting the worst Donald Trump defenders on Capitol Hill, who refuse to criticize him—no matter how disgraceful or lawless his actions.

President Donald Trump's tariffs have not only caused immense economic pain, but they’re also overwhelmingly unpopular—even among Republican voters.

The Supreme Court gave GOP lawmakers an amazing opportunity to stop having to defend Trump’s dumb tariffs on Friday, when six of the nine justices struck them down.

And yet, Republicans did the exact opposite, choosing instead to extoll the virtues of Trump's idiotic trade policy and condemn SCOTUS—which Trump himself stacked with right-wing hacks—for daring to go against Dear Leader.

"The Supreme Court just undercut the President’s ability to defend American workers," Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia—who is running for Senate and desperate to get Trump's endorsement—wrote on X. "President Donald Trump was elected to fight unfair trade and stop the United States from being ripped off. I’m outraged by this decision; it's clearly judicial overreach."

GOP Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia Similarly, Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana called the ruling “unbelievable.”

"Trump’s tariffs brought billions of dollars back into our country,” he wrote on X.

Other GOP lawmakers suggested that they either want to codify the tariffs or explicitly neuter Congress of its tariff authority, handing it over to Dear Leader.

"SCOTUS’s outrageous ruling handcuffs our fight against unfair trade that has devastated American workers for decades. These tariffs protected jobs, revived manufacturing, and forced cheaters like China to pay up,” Sen. Bernie Moreno wrote on X.

He added, “Now globalists win, factories investments may reverse, and American workers lose again. This betrayal must be reversed and Republicans must get to work immediately on a reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs that had made our country the hottest country on earth!"

In fact, Trump's tariffs have not at all revived manufacturing, with the country losing more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs last year.

"The countries that think they’re off the hook, are SADLY mistaken!" Rep. Carlos Giménez of Florida wrote on X. "President Trump has MANY options to impose decisive economic action against rogue regimes!"

*Related | *Democrats don’t want you to forget the cost of Trump’s dumb tariffs

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican facing a Trump-backed primary opponent in his reelection bid, sought to fluff Dear Leader after the stinging tariff loss, touting a bill he sponsored that would determine tariffs on foreign countries based on how much pollution they produce.

"There must be tools to level the playing field. Striking down President Trump’s ability to use IEEPA tariffs demands an alternative," he wrote on X. "My Foreign Pollution Fee levels the playing field in a way that is predictable and benefits American workers and American businesses."

Congressional Republicans, however, were vague in how they might respond.

"No one can deny that the President’s use of tariffs has brought in billions of dollars and created immense leverage for America’s trade strategy and for securing strong, reciprocal America-first trade agreements with countries that had been taking advantage of American workers for decades,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. “Congress and the Administration will determine the best path forward in the coming weeks.”

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer House Majority Whip Tom Emmer was equally cagey about the GOP’s next steps.

“President Trump and House Republicans will continue to fight for our nation’s farmers, manufacturers, and workers through the president’s America First agenda,” he wrote on X.

But no matter what happens, Democrats say they will make sure that the public remembers the pain and suffering caused by Trump's tariffs—and that GOP lawmakers enabled it at every turn.

"Manufacturers closed their doors and let go of workers as their costs skyrocketed,” Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia wrote on X. “Small businesses have shuttered, and those that survived will have a hard time claiming the money they are owed under this framework, while consumers who have paid more for everyday necessities will likely never receive a refund.”

"These brutal losses could have been avoided if Congressional Republicans had the courage to stand up to Trump and end his trade war sooner,” he added in a statement. “The American people will remember who fought for affordability and who called it a hoax."