President Donald Trump dismissed the chances of another rebuke from lawmakers in his own party — this time over tariffs slapped on Mexican imports — saying such an effort would be “foolish.”
In a news conference Tuesday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump said he didn't think GOP lawmakers would try to block the 5 percent tariffs set to go into effect next week, arguing that he has "tremendous" support among their voting base.
The tariff threat has prompted a wave of backlash and sent Mexican negotiators scrambling, but officials in both parties and trade experts say it's possible Congress could block the penalties. That's because in order to invoke trade powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Trump may be required to declare a national emergency, allowing lawmakers to take a vote on blocking it.
On Tuesday, the president said he thought his party wouldn’t buck him, even though Republicans did just that earlier this year over his efforts to secure funding for a border wall. “I don't think they will do that; if they do, it's foolish. There's nothing more important than borders,” he said, adding that “I've had tremendous Republican support.”
Trump last week threatened the tariffs on Mexico if it did not significantly step up its efforts to block the flood of migrants entering the U.S. illegally, warning that the 5 percent figure would increase monthly, up to 25 percent, until the Mexican government had satisfied his requirements.
In response to broad opposition to the new tariffs, the White House has insisted Trump is serious about his threat. On Monday, he said in a tweet that "as a sign of good faith, Mexico should immediately stop the flow of people and drugs through their country and to our Southern Border," adding that "They can do it if they want!
"During Tuesday's press conference, he interrupted a reporter to object to the characterization that Mexico's spike in apprehensions and deportations of Central American migrants were "possibly" a response to his tariff threat.
"Not possibly," Trump said.
He said talks with Mexico about heading off the tariffs will likely still take place once the penalty on all goods crossing the border has gone into effect.
“We are going to see if we can do something, but I think it's more likely that the tariffs go on,” Trump said. “And we will probably be talking during the time that the tariffs are on, and they are going to be paid.”
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine