The unleashed Trump causes cautious resistance in its own circle
While Donald Trump presented his menu with import duties in the windy garden of the White House, the first Republican resistance bubbled in the Senate. Four party members voted on Wednesday evening for an attempt by the Democratic opposition to reverse the rates that were announced earlier against neighboring Canada. Thanks to the quartet, a majority of 51 senators declared the state of emergency invalid that Trump declared for his trade war.
It will not delay the Trumpian steam roller about free trade. The president can effortlessly ignore the resolution as long as the – even more loyal – house of delegates does not agree. But the first time since Trump is again in power that his party members in the congress offer some resistance. Until now, they had the President uncritically chopped on matters that were holy for many Republicans: international alliances, the rule of law, security of state -secret information and economic stability. They agree with all his controversial government appointments and let him rule by decree.
The four senators consciously choose Trumps trade policy to get against. They do not want to hide their voters that the import duties will inflict an economic blow to their states (Alaska, Kentucky and Maine). In contrast to group members, the Senators Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul and Susan Collins can afford the anger of Trump and his supporters, because they have their own voter base or their retirement.
« Americans know that rates are taxes, » wrote the Libertaire Paul Wednesday about the new taxes. The other three stopped.
Cost of living
Trump is willing to take enormous risks in his second term. He no longer seems to matter how he looks in polls. What his policy does to the stock markets. That unemployment increases and the consumer confidence canceled. And even whether the US economy ends up in a recession. « I don’t care if (automakers) raise their prices, » he said Saturday in an interview. A statement that Democrats can save for their commercials in coming political campaigns, a commentary by The Wall Street Journal.
Many voters voted for Trump in the hope that he would curb inflation and reduce the costs of living. Even if Trumps gamble pays off and the trading rates forcing companies force their production to move to the United States, this is preceded by a lot of uncertainty and economic pain. Those dream factories are never there before there are crucial elections in November 2026.
This week, voters were allowed in two heavily republic -minded districts in Florida and in Swing State Wisconsin already to the polls. The Republicans retained two seats in the House of Representatives, but scored considerably worse than in November. A judge supported by Democrats Easily won a seat In the Wisconsin Supreme Court, despite that ‘First Buddy‘Elon Musk with more than 20 million dollars campaign against her. It is a first indication that the support for Trump among Americans – at least among those who are inclined to stand up during interior elections – has decreased.
Third term
Trump speculates about an unconstitutional third term, but he cannot be re -elected himself and is therefore not judged directly by voters. According to sources of The New York Times have his limited success in his first term, his four years of exile and the shot in his ear him « legal, electoral and psychologically unleashed« He has chosen ministers, such as Finance Minister Scott Bessent and Minister of Trade Howard Lutnik, who cooperates hard with him to bring the era of globalization to an end.
Yet Trump is not immune to public opinion. He wants to go into history as a great president, not as the butcher of the American economy. He has three years and nine months to get that done. The question is whether his party members retain the same recklessness, or that if the economic damage appears to be considerably in a year, they dare to take a distance.