Squishy Republicans in Congress are showing their true colors.
Several are openly flirting with REVOLT against President Trump’s tariff agenda — even after the President’s powerful State of the Union address.
EVEN AFTER he specifically warned them not to meddle in his tariff policy. (Not his first warning to them on this issue, either.)
Nearly a month ago the President took to his Truth Social account, probably because he already saw the cracks in the Republican Party starting to show:
Here’s the full text of that post from February 11th of this year, in case that’s hard to make out:
Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries! Our Trade Deficit has been reduced by 78%, the Dow Jones has just hit 50,000, and the S&P, 7,000, all Numbers that were considered IMPOSSIBLE just one year ago. In addition, TARIFFS have given us Great National Security because the mere mention of the word has Countries agreeing to our strongest wishes. TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
And then again, less than a week before his State of the Union address, he put out another post — chiding Republicans for disloyalty:
Republicans are so disloyal to themselves! Unite, stick together, and WIN! President DJT
That callout was likely aimed also at those Congressional Republicans hiding behind supposed rules.
Rather than getting on board and passing the SAVE Act, as much as it was directed at those revolting against his authority in regards to tariffs.
Sen. Mike Lee has now famously EXPOSED those Republicans and their excuses on the SAVE Act in particular, in this clip shared by Bill Mitchell on X:
GOP HOLD-OUTS EXPOSED! - A few Republican senators are digging in, refusing the talking filibuster that could ram the SAVE America Act through with just 50 votes plus JD Vance as tiebreaker.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) February 26, 2026
Sen. Mike Lee fires back hard: “Be wary of anyone insisting the talking filibuster isn’t… pic.twitter.com/FjIhWebrrz
Here’s the full text of Mitchell’s post, as well as a stand alone video with that clip for easier viewing:
GOP HOLD-OUTS EXPOSED! – A few Republican senators are digging in, refusing the talking filibuster that could ram the SAVE America Act through with just 50 votes plus JD Vance as tiebreaker.
Sen. Mike Lee fires back hard: “Be wary of anyone insisting the talking filibuster isn’t a real strategy for passing SAVE. They’ll try to hide behind ‘Senate rules’ and complexity… make them show their work.”
The path is there, confirmed and viable. Yet resistance lingers inside the party.
This forces the question: When a slim majority holds real power to deliver, why stall on procedure? Time to demand transparency and action before momentum slips away.
Here’s that fiery clip from Sen. Mike Lee, “exposing the hold-outs”, as Mitchell put it:
And the President once again flat out warned Republicans not to touch his economic agenda as far as the tariffs go during the State of the Union speech a few days ago.
But that has apparently fallen on a lot of deaf ears, judging by recent statements coming out of Republicans in Congress.
Rand Paul, McConnell, and others have all joined the ongoing revolt of Republicans in Congress against President Trump’s tariff agenda, according to reporting from The Hill:
President Trump late Friday blasted “disloyal” Republicans and Supreme Court justices after the high court struck down much of his tariff policy and as he ramps up efforts to sell his economic agenda ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Trump’s effort to impose sweeping import taxes on nearly all foreign trading partners under the 1970s-era International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) — which was blocked by the high court Friday in a 6-3 decision — has highlighted cracks in the GOP’s public display of unity.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in a post online called the decision a “defense of our Republic” in a post online and suggested the ruling could also block others from attempting to misuse the IEEPA.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signaled the ruling against Trump “leaves no doubt” about Congress’s constitutional authority over taxes and tariffs.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) echoed that notion, and suggested lawmakers will challenge the president’s decision impose new global tariffs. The president initially signed an executive order to impose a 10 percent tariff on foreign trade partners under the Trade Act — but on Saturday, he upped that rate to 15 percent.
In a Saturday post online, the president praised conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito for defending his agenda with their dissent. (Emphasis added.)
It’s really saying something when President Trump PRAISES SCOTUS JUSTICES for backing him — when Republicans in his own party are revolting!
Much of the pushback against the President’s tariff agenda has been misplaced, as far as I can tell.
A lot of it isn’t even based in the question of his authority to do so, but has often leaned heavily on an OVEREMPHASIZED assessment that tariffs have pushed prices up for the American consumer.
As an American consumer… that simply does not seem to be the case, overall.
Still, President Trump has agreed that some temporary “pain” might be felt, as his tariff agenda rolls forward.
Here’s one clip from a few weeks ago of him making that case, in spite of “some short term pain”:
TRUMP JUST NOW ON TARIFFS:
— amit (@amitisinvesting) February 3, 2025
"We may have some short term pain, but people understand that. The United States has been ripped off by every country and we are going to change that." pic.twitter.com/ALV5W5dbRt
But in Congress, Republicans aren’t just pushing back against his tariff policy.
A growing number are pushing back against both of his ‘big asks’, AND his warning against meddling in his tariff agenda, according to Fox News:
There were two big asks — and one admonition — from President Donald Trump this week. He wants Congress to approve the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship for people to vote. He wants lawmakers to pass a stock trading ban, handcuffing Congress from dealing in stocks. And the President doesn’t want Congress to meddle in tariff policy.
President Trump touted his new tariffs, arguing that they will eventually replace the nation’s income tax.
The House voted a few weeks ago to extinguish a special rule House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and others put in place to block members from unwinding the tariffs for a year. Then the House adopted a plan to undo tariffs with Canada.
Let’s go back to Trump’s two major legislative asks in his speech. The SAVE Act is the one he really wants to be passed.
“They want to cheat. They have cheated. And their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat,” said the President of Democrats during his speech. “Cheating is rampant.”
The House already approved the SAVE Act. But the question is the Senate.
Then, there’s the aspiration about prohibiting lawmakers from trading stocks. Even Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., stood and applauded when Trump made that entreaty.
There’s an old expression that the president “proposes” and Congress “disposes.” It’s certainly possible that even a GOP Congress will do that this year with some of Trump’s legislative wishes. (Emphasis added.)
Did you catch that part about Elizabeth Warren STANDING and APPLAUDING President Trump for pushing a prohibition against lawmakers trading stocks!?
And yet… even that is getting pushback — from REPUBLICANS!
The SAVE Act? Should be an easy day for Republicans.
Instead, REVOLT.
At a certain point you have to wonder whether this widespread pushback against the majority of President Trump’s current top-level agenda pieces is a sign of the bipartisan CORRUPTION we often talk about?
Or is it simply that more ‘Republicans’ are so in name only… than we’ve ever dared to suspect.
That RINO label has been around for awhile, for good reason.
But I’m starting to think we don’t use it nearly as much as we should.
