GOP Congressman Slams Trump’s Tariffs, Argues He Has ‘Embraced’ a ‘Democrat Position’

On Friday, Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) slammed President Donald Trump’s tariffs during an appearance on NewsNation, arguing that the president has “embraced what is considered recently a more Democrat position.”

“The Republicans have not supported tariffs since the 1930s,” Bacon told NewsNation’s Connell McShane. “Free trade gives you the best products at the best price in the most efficient manner possible. And so, President Trump has actually embraced what is considered recently a more Democrat position. We’re seeing a reversal in our policies.”

“It’s proven that tariffs do not work,” continued Bacon. “If you target a country or two because of unfair trade policies, that’s different. Tariffs against 80 countries, including 50% tariffs on Brazil because you don’t like the current leadership, that does not work.”

“I owe it to the country to speak what I feel is truth,” Bacon concluded. “These broad tariff battles, we will lose. The election that happened last week was on affordability, and I think tariffs, I would say, were one of the main underlying causes [for the GOP loss],” referring to wins by New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), and Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ).

Bacon joins a growing number of Republican lawmakers, from free-trade conservatives to farm-state members, who have openly criticized Trump’s tariffs as economically self-defeating and politically damaging. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said in October that 20 GOP senators are “grumbling” over Trump’s trade war with China, but that they “don’t have the guts” to criticize the president.

Notably, on Friday, Trump quietly moved to narrow the scope of his tariff program, issuing a new executive order modifying the reciprocal tariffs first enacted under his April directive. The shift follows Thursday’s reporting from The New York Times that the administration has been under pressure to ease duties that are contributing to rising grocery costs, even as Trump continues to insist that prices are falling.