Republican lawmakers are avoiding any recalibration of their stance on tariffs, despite voter frustration over inflation and the cost of living revealed in this week’s elections.
While the Tuesday elections were held in blue states, the margins of victory for Democrats and exit polling indicated that many voters are dissatisfied with the state of the economy and inflation. Voters also believe that tariffs are exacerbating the situation, but few Republicans are denouncing them or calling for policy changes.
“Blaming the tariffs for rising costs is the equivalent of blaming [President Donald] Trump,” Alex Conant, a GOP strategist and a partner at Firehouse Strategies, told the Washington Examiner. “No Republican is going to do that.”
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Polls showed that the economy was the No. 1 issue in Virginia, where Democrats won statewide elections easily, and the cost of living was by far the top issue for voters in New York City.
Trump has argued repeatedly that tariffs are helping the economy, but many voters disagree. A recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 63% of Americans think that tariffs add to inflation, and a majority say they hurt the family financial situation of those surveyed.
However, on Capitol Hill, Republicans, many of whom have previously criticized tariffs, are avoiding criticism of the tariffs imposed by Trump.
“My takeaway from this election is that they probably did a good job turning out, the economy’s not where we hope it will be, but it will get better,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told the Washington Examiner.
Graham defended the tariff policies, pointing out that they are generating substantial revenue for the Treasury Department and that Trump’s trade agenda has resulted in some good trade deals and direct investment into the United States.
“I think President Trump has used the tariffs to get great trade deals. Can they be inflationary? Yeah, they can be. But I think he’s used the tariffs to get trade deals nobody could imagine,” Graham added.
Jason Roe, a veteran Republican political consultant, said that Republicans should be laser-focused on inflation, healthcare costs and access, and potential joblessness in the labor market heading into the midterm election cycle.
“I think those three factors are the three things Republicans have to really be focused on in the next year,” he said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also acknowledged that cost-of-living concerns were one of the key messages that came from this week’s election results.
“I think they don’t like a shutdown, and I think they’re worried about the cost of their everyday living, including on healthcare,” Murkowski said.
Sen. Jim Justice said that Trump is doing a “magnificent job” with the tariffs.
“But at the same time, you know, it’s arguable — I mean, you may say, well, it’s going too fast, or it’s going too slow,” Justice said. “Well, that may be your opinion. It could maybe be my opinion. But with all that being said, do we really have the information to know whether it’s going too fast or too slow? We don’t.”
Brian Darling, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide, told the Washington Examiner that he doesn’t think there will be a wholesale change in the Republican Party’s messaging on tariffs unless it comes from Trump.
“I think that the White House is leading on the tariff issue, and until the White House changes or modifies their message a bit, I don’t think you’ll see congressional Republicans change their message,” Darling told the Washington Examiner.
Still, Darling said that he thinks it would be helpful for Republicans politically if they could dial back or walk away from some tariffs. He said that voters aren’t patient and won’t wait around for years to see an influx in manufacturing and for tariffs to be lifted.
“The bottom line is, I think voters are results-oriented,” Darling said. “They want to see inflation come down no matter what. And I don’t think they care what party is in charge.”
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Sen. Thom Tillis, who is retiring and doesn’t have to worry about reelection, told the Washington Examiner that he thinks Republicans need to have a good message on tariffs and their impact on inflation.
“I think we need to be mindful of the additive cost of tariffs and how people measure it in next year’s elections,” Tillis said. “So, whether or not we recalibrate or just recognize we have to have a good answer for that because we are stepping up the cost basis.”