Five Republican senators joined Democrats in a Senate vote to block President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports, despite direct warnings from Vice President J.D. Vance. The 52–48 vote marks a rare public break within GOP ranks, challenging the use of national emergency powers Trump invoked to defend American trade interests.
The resolution targets tariffs placed on key Brazilian goods like oil, coffee, and orange juice. President Trump imposed the tariffs earlier this year, declaring that Brazil posed “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. economic security. Critics of the tariffs argue the emergency designation was an overreach of executive authority.
Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis sided with Democrats. Rand Paul criticized the use of emergency powers for trade disputes, claiming they were meant for war or disaster scenarios.
Vice President Vance urged Republicans to stand united, warning that reversing the tariffs would “undermine American leverage” in global trade. His appeal fell short, as Senate moderates broke with the administration over concerns about rising consumer prices and supply chain complications.
While the resolution passed in the Senate, it faces slim chances in the House, where GOP leadership has blocked similar tariff rollbacks. President Trump is expected to veto the resolution if it reaches his desk.
The split highlights ongoing tensions in the Republican Party between America First trade policies and traditional free-market conservatism.
