Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called out President Donald Trump’s hike in tariffs on imports — and warned how they will hit constituents in his own state of Kentucky, who overwhelmingly voted Trump back into the White House ― in an opinion piece for the Louisville Courier-Journal that published Wednesday.
Tariffs are “bad policy,” McConnell wrote in an essay titled “Kentuckians can’t afford the high cost of Trump’s tariffs.”
Republicans “ought to be clear-eyed about the full, unadulterated impact of tariffs as we work to restore sound fiscal policy to our government,” the lawmaker continued. “Blanket tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, driving up costs for consumers across the board. These aren’t just abstract concerns.”
McConnell predicted how the tariffs could have “long-term consequences right in our backyard” for Kentucky’s family farmers, bourbon producers and auto industry, among others.
“At a time when Americans are tightening their belts, we would do well to avoid policies that heap on the pain,” he concluded the piece.
McConnell similarly criticized Trump’s tariffs on allies earlier this month, telling CBS News’ Lesley Stahl in a “60 Minutes” interview that they “will drive the cost of everything up.”
Trump has announced 25% tariffs on neighbors Mexico and Canada — which have since been temporarily paused — and 10% tariffs on China.
McConnell still endorsed Trump in the 2024 election, despite their relationship souring following the deadly U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when McConnell condemned Trump but then voted against impeaching him for fomenting the attack.
Trump won more than 64% of November’s presidential election vote in Kentucky, compared to Democratic rival, former Vice President Kamala Harris, who won 33%.
CORRECTION: A prior version of this story stated that McConnell was not seeking reelection, but he had not made any official announcement as of this article’s publication date.