Well, well, well. Just when you think the GOP might finally present a unified front on something as fundamental as defending our borders and fighting fentanyl, four Senate Republicans decided to take a hard detour — straight into Democrat territory.
In a 51–48 vote, the Senate passed a resolution to terminate President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration that authorized 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. The reason for the tariffs? To hold Canada accountable for the surge of fentanyl pouring into the U.S. from abroad. But apparently, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Rand Paul had other ideas.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a vote about trade policy — this was a referendum on whether we penalize countries for contributing to the deadliest drug crisis in American history. And four Republicans just failed that test.
Trump didn’t mince words. In a Truth Social post, he called out the quartet by name and urged them to “get on the Republican bandwagon.” He blasted the resolution as a “ploy of the Dems” to expose GOP weakness — and guess what? That’s exactly what happened.
These four Republicans handed Democrats a win they didn’t earn and sided with Canada over American families, small-town communities, and law enforcement officers who are burying overdose victims every week. Trump made it crystal clear: these tariffs were meant to raise the cost of distributing fentanyl by punishing the countries that let it flow freely.
🚨🚨 Senate approves plan to reverse Trump tariffs on Canada pic.twitter.com/bifbrJTaII
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) April 2, 2025
Some of the defectors, like Collins and Murkowski, tried to frame their votes as concern for trade relationships and economic impact. But let’s not kid ourselves — this is about the border, drugs, and sovereignty. Trump isn’t putting tariffs on maple syrup and hockey sticks. He’s going after the value chain behind a deadly narcotic that’s killing 70,000 Americans a year.
Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Trump used his authority to target foreign actors facilitating illegal drug activity and illegal immigration. It’s a national emergency, and he acted accordingly.
And let’s not forget: Canada and Mexico were warned. These tariffs aren’t random. They are conditional and directly tied to their cooperation on drug interdiction and immigration enforcement. Don’t want tariffs? Do your part to stop the problem.
Fortunately, the resolution is going nowhere in the House, where Republican leadership has already dismissed it outright. Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to block it, and Trump has vowed to veto it if it somehow reaches his desk. So despite this symbolic Senate betrayal, the tariffs stay—for now.
The real story here isn’t just a bad vote. It’s the lingering rot in parts of the GOP — career politicians more concerned about Canadian trade partners and corporate interests than about defending American lives.
These senators chose photo ops and press releases over action. They chose applause from CNN over standing with Trump, who’s been right about the border, right about fentanyl, and right about the need to stop outsourcing American sovereignty.
So here we are. Trump is laying the groundwork for reciprocal tariffs on countries undermining U.S. safety, including a 25% tariff on foreign-made automobiles. He’s sending a message to the world: you profit from our crisis, you pay.
