Senator Ted Cruz warns that Republican Party could be punished by voters if President Trump’s tariffs negatively impact the economy.
Senator Ted Cruz has cautioned that the Republican Party could experience a “bloodbath” in the upcoming midterm elections if President Donald Trump’s recently imposed tariffs, which he termed “liberation day” tariffs, prove to be detrimental.
Trump’s announcement of extensive tariffs on a majority of US trading partners earlier this week triggered a significant downturn in the US stock market, marking its largest crash since the COVID-19 pandemic. China has already responded with a retaliatory 34% tariff on American goods, and other nations have indicated their intent to do the same.
During his Verdict podcast on X on Friday, the junior senator from Texas expressed his disagreement with the Trump administration’s assertion that the new tariffs would stimulate a “booming economy.”
Cruz voiced apprehension that the White House’s actions could instigate a global trade war, which “would destroy jobs here at home, and do real damage to the US economy.”
He warned that if the situation persists and leads to “a recession, particularly a bad recession,” the 2026 midterm elections “in all likelihood, politically, would be a bloodbath” for the Republicans.
Cruz stated, “You would face a Democrat House, and you might even face a Democrat Senate,” clarifying that “if we are in the middle of a recession and people are hurting badly, they punish the party in power.”
The senator remarked, “Look, I want this to succeed… but my definition of ‘succeed’ may be different than the White House’s,” further explaining that he believes “American prosperity” should be fostered by “dramatically lowering” tariffs abroad, which would then lead to a reduction in US tariffs.
Trump defended his tariffs on Friday, asserting on his Truth Social platform that his “policies will never change” and inviting foreign investors to invest in the US to become “richer than ever before.”
Following the US president’s announcement of levies, JPMorgan increased its estimate of the possibility of of a global recession from 40% to 60%. JPMorgan chief economist Bruce Kasman wrote in a note to clients, titled “There will be blood,” that “The effect of this tax hike is likely to be magnified – through retaliation, a slide in US business sentiment, and supply chain disruptions.”
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