Rand Paul Warns Senate May Have Veto-Proof Majority to Block Trump Mexico Tariffs: Can’t Run Gov’t by Emergency

Senator Rand Paul has been largely supportive of President Donald Trump, but he’s at odds with the president over the Mexicao tariffs he threatened just last week.

Paul said on CNN this afternoon that “there may be enough numbers of people who think we shouldn’t be allowing one person to make this decision that we may actually have enough to override a veto.”

He called it a “bad signal” that in the middle of working on a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada “to go back and say, ‘oh, but by the way, we’re going to heap on other tariffs outside.'”

“I think this goes a long way towards destroying the trade deal that they were so proud of,” he added.

Brianna Keilar noted how Trump himself said it would be “foolish” for Republicans to try and block the tariffs.

Paul responded by saying he has separation of powers concerns:

“Tariffs, laws have to originate with Congress. And I think you just can’t declare emergencies on spending, on tariffs, also on arms sales––they’re now saying that they’re going to sell arms to Saudi Arabia despite the objections of Congress. And so I think what you may be finding, if we try to run government by emergency, is it may solidify opposition. Even people like myself who are largely supportive of President Trump, largely supportive of his initiatives, I can’t be for letting the president have all the power that the Constitution gave to Congress.”

You can watch above, via CNN.