GOP lawmakers say economic numbers are a major red flag for Trump
Republican lawmakers say economic data released Wednesday is flashing a warning about the growing impact of President Trump’s trade war, which they fear could lead to a sharp political backlash.
They say it is beginning to confirm what they feared for weeks, that Trump’s threats to impose steep tariffs on dozens of foreign trading partners and his zigzagging style of announcing new fees only to then later backtrack is creating significant uncertainty within the economy.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that the tariffs and trade war has injected a lot of uncertainty and instability into the economy. I think investment, what I’m hearing from businesses, is drying up. That’s not good,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who has introduced legislation to curtail Trump’s power to impose new tariffs by requiring that Congress approve them within 60 days, said Wednesday’s gross domestic product report reflects growing uncertainty in the economy.