{"id":2398247,"date":"2025-02-03T12:05:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T17:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-questions-trumps-tariff-fight-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T12:06:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T17:06:19","slug":"mcconnell-questions-trumps-tariff-fight-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-questions-trumps-tariff-fight-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"McConnell questions Trump\u2019s tariff fight &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmcconnell-questions-trumps-tariff-fight-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2398247&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Mitch \u200cMcConnell (R-KY) has openly criticized\u200d President\u2063 Donald Trump&#8217;s recent executive orders imposing 25% tariffs \u2062on Canada and Mexico, which Trump claims are intended \u200cto protect American jobs and encourage border\u2062 enforcement. McConnell expressed concerns that these tariffs will\u2063 increase consumer prices, arguing that it doesn\u2019t make sense to provoke allies. Despite\u200c Trump&#8217;s insistence on teh benefits\u2062 of these tariffs, \u2062McConnell emphasized his longstanding opposition to such measures, stating that they negatively impact American consumers and the economy. <\/p>\n<p>On a related note, the tariffs are reportedly being paused after an agreement\u2063 with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to deploy 10,000 national Guard troops to \u200bthe border. McConnell highlighted broader concerns about the current administration&#8217;s foreign\u200d policy, suggesting it leans towards isolationism, and \u2063argued that the U.S. must remain\u200b a leader among democratic nations \u2064in the face of global threats.He plans to be more \u200dvocal on these issues now that he \u2064is no longer in a leadership position, \u2062reaffirming his preference\u2062 for free\u2062 trade over tariffs, especially as they could provoke retaliatory actions from Canada and Mexico, including targeted tariffs on Kentucky products.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">McConnell questions Trump&rsquo;s tariff fight<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1973045\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitch-mcconnell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY) is openly criticizing President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> executive orders placing 25% <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tariffs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">tariffs<\/a> on Canada and Mexico.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Trump, on Saturday, announced 25% tariffs on the countries to &ldquo;protect Americans&rdquo; and squeeze the United States&rsquo;s neighbors into reinforcing their borders. The tariffs come despite a sweeping worry that they will increase consumer prices, which Trump has acknowledged.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It will drive the cost of everything up,&rdquo; McConnell told <em>60 Minutes<\/em> on Sunday. &ldquo;In other words, it will be paid for by American consumers. I mean, why would you want to get in a fight with your allies over this?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3308533\/white-house-delays-tariffs-mexico-border-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">announced<\/a> Monday morning the tariffs would be paused for one month after she agreed to place 10,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/celebrity-chef-delivers-food-to-d-c-law-enforcement\/\" title=\"Celebrity chef delivers food to D.C. law enforcement\">000 national guard troops<\/a> along the border between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p>The former Senate majority leader has been more outspoken since relinquishing his leadership position to Sen. John Thune (R-SD). McConnell voted against Trump Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, going against all Senate Republicans except Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME).<\/p>\n<p>He is also likely to oppose Department of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-earned-praise-from-anti-vaccine-extremists\/\" title=\"Newsom Earned Praise from Anti-Vaccine Extremists\">espoused anti-vaccine views<\/a> in recent years. McConnell is a polio survivor and has touted the polio vaccine&rsquo;s effectiveness.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell also suggested during the interview that he opposes the administration&rsquo;s foreign policy stance, which skews isolationist.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;America First &mdash; that was what they used in the &rsquo;30s,&rdquo; McConnell said. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;m hopeful the new administration will understand and act, not with just language that says America First, but funding that underscores the nature of the threat. Look, what is the situation? North Korea, China, Russia, Iran. This is a huge threat, a fight between the autocrats and the democracies. And when it comes to the democratic world, only one country can lead, that&rsquo;s us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s dangerous to step aside and assume that by speaking to autocrats, they will somehow treat you better,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Before blasting Trump&rsquo;s tariffs and the nation&rsquo;s foreign policy situation, McConnell admitted that relinquishing his leadership position would leave him open to be &ldquo;more outspoken about things that I particularly care about than I have been in the past.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>McConnell has made it clear that he&rsquo;s opposed to tariffs in the past. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a fan of tariffs. They raise the prices for American consumers. I&rsquo;m more of a free-trade kind of Republican that remembers how many jobs are created by the exports that we engage in. So, I&rsquo;m not a tariff fan,&rdquo; McConnell said in September.<\/p>\n<p>Canada and Mexico have issued retaliatory tariffs, with some set to hit Kentucky-made bourbon and Kentucky-made peanut butter originating from manufacturer Jif. Both countries have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-ketanji-brown-jackson-for-supreme-court\/\" title=\"Senate Confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court\">raised significant concerns<\/a> about the tariffs.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together,&rdquo; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, announcing the retaliatory tariffs.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said in a Truth Social Post Sunday that the tariffs will be worth the &ldquo;price that must be paid.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This will be the Golden Age of America!&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!). But we will make America great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid. We are a country that is now being run with common sense &mdash; and the results will be spectacular!!!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The president said he spoke to Trudeau on Monday morning and will be speaking to him again at 3 p.m. <\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1973045\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1973045\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>McConnell criticizes Trump&#8217;s 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2398248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mitch-McConnell.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5194,5894,13991,3634,32076],"class_list":["post-2398247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-mcconnell","tag-politics","tag-tariffs","tag-trump","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Mitch-McConnell.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2398247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2398247"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2398247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2398251,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2398247\/revisions\/2398251"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2398248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2398247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2398247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2398247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}