In a surprising act of defiance, a small bloc of Senate Republicans broke ranks with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, joining Democrats to pass a resolution blocking his use of emergency powers to impose 50% tariffs on Brazil — a sharp rebuke to his aggressive trade strategy.
The measure, spearheaded by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), passed the Senate but cannot advance to the House until next year, due to a rule House Republicans adopted barring consideration of Trump-related tariff legislation until January.
Despite the procedural delay, the vote represented a symbolic pushback against Trump’s expanding use of executive authority on trade. The five Republican defectors — Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul (Kentucky), and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) — sided with all Senate Democrats in advancing the resolution.
Their dissent came despite an earlier warning from Vice President JD Vance, who urged GOP senators during a closed-door lunch not to undermine Trump’s authority.
“To vote against that is to strip incredible leverage from the president of the United States,” Vance reportedly told colleagues. “It’s a huge mistake.”
Trump imposed the tariffs in July under emergency powers, claiming that “the scope and gravity of the recent policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Brazil constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the U.S. economy.
But critics in both parties argue that the move had more to do with personal politics than national security, pointing to Trump’s public support for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn Brazil’s 2022 election.
“It makes no sense to impose tariffs on Brazil, and it’s just being done to back up the president’s friend,” Kaine told reporters before the vote.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of Trump’s most vocal critics on trade, blasted the administration’s use of emergency powers.
“Emergencies are like war, famine, tornadoes — not disliking someone’s tariffs,” Paul said. “Tariffs are taxes, and they’re not taxes on China. They’re taxes on Americans who buy products from China.”
Paul added that the lack of GOP support for his position stemmed from “fear,” alluding to the political pressure inside the party to align with Trump as the government shutdown continues to deepen.
Kaine, meanwhile, plans to introduce two more resolutions later this week — one targeting Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, and another challenging his global tariff policy.
While Tuesday’s vote may not immediately alter Trump’s trade agenda, it signals growing discomfort within Republican ranks — a reminder that even in a GOP-dominated Washington, Trump’s hold on the Senate is not absolute.
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