Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called Donald Trump’s tariffs a “tax,” adding that they will increase the price of imported goods for American consumers.
“I think without question they’re a tax,” Paul said on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour Tuesday, in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “And it’s something that will elevate the prices of things that you tariff. So if you put a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, the people who buy steel and aluminum inevitably are going to pay more.”
Paul has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s tariffs and has said Congress needs to reassert its constitutional power to regulate tariffs and foreign trade.
In April, Paul co-sponsored legislation to prevent Trump from using emergency powers to implement his tariff agenda. The vote ended in a tie, 49-49, with three Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Paul, joining all Democrats present in support of the resolution.
Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) who supported the measure, were absent for the vote that needed a simple majority to pass.
Paul said Tuesday that it is mostly Senate Democrats who are interested to step in.
“We have three or four Republicans and most of the Democrats, the last time around, I think enough to get to a simple majority,” he said. “But no, I don’t think there’s enough votes to rein in executive authority. It’s funny how when there’s a Democrat president, Republicans are very open to restricting executive authority, and then when the reverse happens, not so much.”
