GOP Senator Warns Trump’s Tariffs Will Do ‘Irreparable’ Damage to Farmers: ‘One Crop Away From Bankruptcy’

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) was among several Republicans sounding the alarm about President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs, warning that they risked causing “irreparable” damage to the farmers in his state.

A new round of the president’s tariffs is scheduled to roll out Wednesday, imposing reciprocal tariffs on nearly every country that trades with the U.S. Thus far, the stock market has reacted negatively and numerous economists are forecasting a bumpy road ahead, even a looming recession.

Tillis seemed to concur with these pessimistic assessments when CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju caught up with him in the Capitol.

“Anyone who says there may be a little bit of pain before we get things right, need to talk to my farmers who are one crop away from bankruptcy,” said Tillis. “They don’t have time. So we’ve got to be crisp on this implementation. Otherwise, we could do damage that is irreparable to farmers.”

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) also expressed concerns about the harm Trump’s tariffs could cause in their states.

“As the president has admitted, tariffs will create pain for some businesses, and I think Wisconsin will be particularly hard hit with all the manufacturing and agricultural interests,” Johnson told Raju. “Right now, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt but I am concerned.”

“We’ve already heard from some of our beef processors and popcorn exporters, that they’re losing some market share in Europe, so it is concerning,” said Bacon. “I think in the end a trade war doesn’t help anybody.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.