A senior GOP senator on Tuesday said President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexican exports is akin to the U.S. putting a gun to its head and threatening to pull the trigger.
“We’re holding a gun to our own heads,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), according to The New York Times.
{mosads}Cornyn, who is serving as an assistant majority leader to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), is one of a number of Republicans who have criticized Trump’s plans.
He and others have argued that imposing a 5 percent tariff on Mexican exports to the United States would end up hurting U.S. businesses, consumers and workers given the varied connections between the two economies.
Cornyn’s state would also likely take a hit economically if the tariffs are imposed given the amount of trade between Mexico and the United States that crosses the Texas border.
Fellow Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) reportedly characterized the tariff as a $30 billion tax increase on Texans during a closed-door lunch with a deputy White House counsel.
Republicans sent a clear warning signal to the White House about moving forward with the tariffs during a lunch with administration officials on Tuesday.
But Trump has shown little sign of moving. He says the tariffs are necessary to get leverage over Mexico with the immigration crisis at the border. He said Tuesday it would be “foolish” for GOP senators to try to stop the tariffs.
A team of officials from Mexico are in Washington today for meetings with the administration to try to find a solution to the dispute.