{"id":133374,"date":"2026-09-18T10:04:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T17:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marinresists.com\/?p=133374"},"modified":"2026-09-21T13:45:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T20:45:45","slug":"many-republicans-love-trumps-tariffs-except-when-it-comes-to-their-own-constituents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show\/maddowblog\/britt-trump-trade-tariffs-exemptions-alabama-hypocrisy-republicans","title":{"rendered":"Many Republicans love Trump\u2019s tariffs, except when it comes to their own constituents"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When the Supreme Court<\/a> struck down Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs policy earlier this year, Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said what the president wanted to hear. \u201cWhat the media won\u2019t tell you is that President Trump\u2019s tariffs work,\u201d the GOP senator argued.<\/p>\n

Even at face value, Britt\u2019s rhetoric was difficult to take seriously. For one thing, there is no conspiracy among independent news organizations to deprive the public of accurate information. For another, there was all kinds of evidence<\/a> showing the degree to which the Republican administration\u2019s trade tariffs didn\u2019t<\/em> work.<\/p>\n

But as the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal noted<\/a> this week, there was a related problem that went largely overlooked at the time: While Britt touted the efficacy of the White House\u2019s tariffs policy, she also pushed for exemptions to the policy that would\u2019ve protected her own constituents in Alabama. From the report:<\/p>\n

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What Ms. Britt won\u2019t tell you is that she was privately seeking exemptions 10 months earlier. That\u2019s when her legislative director wrote an email, \u201cSen. Britt Alabama Trade Priorities,\u201d seeking help for \u201cspecific Alabama manufacturers.\u201d We obtained the email from the U.S. Trade Representative\u2019s office via the Freedom of Information Act. The email begins by saying Ms. Britt \u201cis supportive\u201d of rebalancing trade. Then it moves to \u201cfour pressing issues,\u201d each a plea for an Alabama company.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pressed for an explanation on the apparent contradiction between Britt\u2019s public and private efforts, the senator\u2019s office emphasized committee hearings where she also raised the same concerns.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s fair, though it doesn\u2019t negate the underlying point: Britt insisted that Trump\u2019s tariffs \u201cwork\u201d while simultaneously having made the argument that Trump\u2019s tariffs wouldn\u2019t work at all for key employers in her home state.<\/p>\n

If all of this sounds familiar, it\u2019s because Britt has plenty of company. In fact, in March 2025, shortly before Trump\u2019s \u201cLiberation Day\u201d announcement, NBC News reported<\/a> on a wide variety of congressional Republicans \u2014 each of whom were broadly supportive of the White House and the president\u2019s agenda \u2014 pleading for exemptions to Trump\u2019s policy.<\/p>\n

(For his part, the president declared<\/a> via social media that there would be \u201cNo exemptions, no exceptions!\u201d though it ultimately became clear that he didn\u2019t mean it<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

It led the Journal\u2019s editors to conclude, \u201cTariffs for thee, exemptions for me. Join the GOP club: In Mr. Trump\u2019s first term, Sen. Josh Hawley lobbied for a carveout on saw blades, Rep. Mark Meadows on furniture wood, Rep. Andy Biggs on patio screens. Who else? When more records arrive, we\u2019ll let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Many Republicans love Trump\u2019s tariffs, except when it comes to their own constituents<\/a> appeared first on MS NOW<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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