Republican strategist Karl Rove warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy could cost Republicans their majorities in Congress, citing economic instability and voter backlash as key risks heading into the midterm elections, The Hill reported.
Rove warned his party in an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal, saying Trump’s trade policies could jeopardize GOP majorities in Congress.
Rove criticized the administration’s messaging around trade, calling it “a muddled mess,” and cautioned that unless Trump embraces a policy of tariff reciprocity, Republicans could face significant political consequences.
“Republicans should hope the president really believes in reciprocity — the policy that if countries lower their tariffs, we’ll lower ours,” he wrote. “He should have confidence that America can compete if the playing field is level.”
Rove’s remarks come amid legal and political turmoil surrounding the administration’s sweeping tariff actions. A federal court ruled Wednesday that Trump overstepped his authority by attempting to impose broad tariffs under an emergency economic law.
The ruling challenged a series of February tariff announcements aimed at countries including Canada, members of the European Union, and other key trading partners.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against the court’s decision.
“Judges on the court brazenly abused their judicial power to usurp the authority of President Trump,” Leavitt said in a statement Thursday.
But the legal landscape shifted quickly. A federal appeals court lifted the initial ruling, temporarily restoring Trump’s authority. On the same day, however, a separate federal court issued an injunction blocking most of the administration’s tariffs, further complicating the situation.
The tariff battle, which has dominated the early months of Trump’s second term, has rattled financial markets, heightened economic uncertainty, and sparked concerns among American businesses and consumers. Economists and political analysts warn that prolonged trade tensions could stall economic growth.
Trump’s trade approach has also caused friction with key allies. Long-standing relationships with Canada and the EU have been strained by the new tariff policies, prompting retaliatory measures from several countries.
Rove emphasized the political stakes in the lead-up to the midterm elections.
“Unless reciprocity prevails, the president’s chaotic trade talk will badly damage Republicans in the midterms. And if the House or Senate flips, the president will find it much harder to advance his priorities in his final two years,” he wrote.
“Voters won’t blame foreign countries for higher prices or fewer goods,” Rove added. “They’ll blame Donald Trump and his Republican Party.”
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
