Because apparently, standing up for American workers is just too radical these days.
On Tuesday, five Senate Republicans decided to side with Democrats (surprise, surprise) in a symbolic vote denouncing President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Brazil. The so-called “rebels” were Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — a group that seems to have forgotten what “America First” actually means.
The 52–48 vote exposes a small rift within the GOP between Trump, who continues fighting for American workers, and a handful of senators more worried about global “free trade” than protecting U.S. jobs.
McConnell, in defending his vote, lectured that “tariffs make both building and buying in America more expensive.” Right, because relying on cheap foreign goods and watching American factories shut down is so much better for our economy. He went on to quote Ronald Reagan — as if invoking Reagan somehow excuses siding with Democrats against a Republican president actively defending American industry.
Let’s be clear — the Senate’s resolution is purely symbolic. It’s not expected to pass the House, and it’s certainly not going to change Trump’s course. The president isn’t backing down, and thank God for that.
Vice President JD Vance warned his Republican colleagues ahead of the vote that turning against the White House would be a “big mistake.” He’s right. “The tariffs give us the ability to put American workers first,” Vance said, reminding everyone why Trump’s policies work: they force American companies to reinvest here at home instead of outsourcing jobs overseas. Radical idea, huh?
Before Trump’s trade reforms, U.S. tariffs on Brazil were a measly 3%, while Brazil slapped us with 11% on American goods. Sounds fair, right? Trump’s new tariffs evened the playing field — and when Brazil’s leftist government went after former President Jair Bolsonaro (a conservative ally, by the way), Trump made it clear he’d hit them harder, up to 50% if necessary. That’s called standing up for your friends and for freedom.
Since returning to office, Trump has been laser-focused on rebuilding America’s trade power. By leveraging tariffs, he’s fighting not just economic imbalance but also the global chaos that weak leaders before him happily ignored. He’s using the tools available under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — tools now being challenged in the Supreme Court by those who’d rather America stay weak.
Trump warned that if the Court undermines his authority, the U.S. “will be a weakened, troubled, financial mess for many, many years to come.” He’s not exaggerating — we’ve seen what globalism does to nations that forget who they are.
At the end of the day, Trump’s tariffs aren’t about punishing allies or starting trade wars. They’re about one simple truth: America comes first. Maybe that’s a hard concept for some senators to grasp, but thankfully, the president — and millions of Americans — haven’t forgotten it.
