🚨 1 MIN AGO: Senate GOP Blocks Trump Tariff Plan — Party Split Surfaces on SOTU Day
Washington, D.C. — February 17, 2026
In a stunning intraparty revolt that has left the Republican establishment reeling, a group of 12 Senate Republicans joined Democrats this morning to block a key procedural vote on former President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff plan against Canada, effectively halting the measure’s path to the floor just hours before tonight’s State of the Union address. The 52–48 vote — with the defectors including influential figures from farm and manufacturing states — exposes a deepening rift within the GOP over Trump’s economic nationalism at a moment when his political influence is already under siege from impeachment proceedings, property seizures, and internal defections.
The tariff plan, pushed relentlessly by Trump from Mar-a-Lago despite his removal under the 25th Amendment, would have imposed blanket 25% duties on Canadian softwood lumber, electricity exports, critical minerals, oil, natural gas, and agricultural products unless Ottawa agreed to “pay back billions in unfair trade subsidies.” Trump framed the tariffs as “essential for American workers” in a Truth Social post at 7:41 a.m. ET, saying: “Canada has ripped us off for decades. Time to pay up or pay the price! MAGA wins when America fights back!!”
But the Senate Agriculture Committee, where the vote occurred, became the unexpected battleground. Led by Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) and joined by senators like Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) — all from states heavily dependent on agricultural exports — the Republican defectors argued the tariffs would trigger devastating Canadian retaliation that could cost U.S. farmers $2.1–3.4 billion in lost revenue annually. “We cannot support measures that punish American agriculture to settle personal scores,” Thune said in a floor statement. “Our farmers are already hurting from inflation and supply-chain issues. This would be a self-inflicted wound.”
The vote’s timing — on the day of Trump’s first formal State of the Union-style address since his controversial return — could not be more symbolic. With impeachment articles advancing in the House, potential disqualification under the 14th Amendment pending in the Senate, ongoing property seizures in New York, mass resignations from his legal team, and grand-jury developments in Georgia, the tariff block represents a rare and public rebuke from within his own party. “This is the beginning of the end for Trump’s stranglehold on GOP policy,” said one senior Democratic aide. “Even his tariff obsession is now too toxic for farm-state senators to swallow.”
Trump’s response was immediate and furious. In a 21-post Truth Social thread beginning at 10:19 a.m. ET, he raged:
“The RINO senators just BETRAYED America! Blocking my tariffs on Canada — who rips us off billions every year — is TREASON! Thune, Ernst, Grassley — you’re all DEAD to MAGA! We will PRIMARY you in 2026 and WIN BIGGER! The party is MINE — get on board or get out!!!”
The posts have been viewed more than 78 million times, but they’ve also triggered a backlash even among some Trump loyalists. Several conservative influencers questioned the wisdom of alienating key senators ahead of the disqualification vote, with one viral thread reading: “Tariffs are great, but attacking Graham and Thune now? That’s how we lose the Senate majority.”
Acting President JD Vance, who has struggled to assert independence from Trump’s shadow, issued a brief statement this afternoon: “I respect the Senate’s deliberative process on trade matters. My administration will continue to pursue policies that put American workers first.” Privately, Vance aides say he is “relieved” by the block, viewing it as an opportunity to de-escalate the Canada dispute without appearing to contradict Trump.
The political stakes are enormous. Trump’s tariff demands have already escalated tensions with Canada, leading to retaliatory measures on U.S. agricultural exports that economists estimate could cost American farmers $1.8 billion in 2026 alone. Combined with his denial of the 25th Amendment’s validity — despite the Senate’s 43–57 vote to remove him — the positions have alienated a growing segment of the GOP base, especially suburban moderates and business conservatives who prioritize economic stability over cultural warfare.
Public reaction has been swift and deeply polarized. A flash poll from Quinnipiac released this afternoon shows 54% of registered voters believe recent tariff threats are “hurting the economy,” including 41% of Republicans — a significant shift from earlier surveys. Pro-Trump rallies in Florida and Texas drew crowds chanting “Tariffs now!” while counter-demonstrations in the Midwest carried signs “Stop the Price Hikes.”
The controversy has also revived broader questions about Trump’s post-presidency role. With impeachment articles advancing, property seizures underway, lawyer resignations ongoing, and disqualification proceedings pending in the Senate, the tariff block has become a powerful symbol: even as Trump’s formal power has been stripped, his policy ideas — and their economic consequences — continue to dominate the national conversation.
Whether this marks the beginning of a sustained Republican resistance to Trump or simply another chapter in the endless Trump cycle remains unclear. What is already evident is that the Senate GOP’s block of the tariff plan has ensured that the party split will remain front and center as the 2026 midterms approach.
(Word count: 902)<|control12|>🚨 1 MIN AGO: Senate GOP Blocks Trump Tariff Plan — Party Split Surfaces on SOTU Day
Washington, D.C. — February 17, 2026
In a stunning act of defiance that has exposed deepening fractures within the Republican Party, Senate GOP members just minutes ago blocked a key procedural vote on former President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff plan against Canada. The 52–48 vote — with 12 Republicans joining all 40 Democrats in opposition — occurred on the morning of Trump’s scheduled State of the Union address, turning what was meant to be a unifying moment for the GOP into a public display of disunity and rebellion against Trump’s economic agenda.
The tariff legislation, pushed relentlessly by Trump from Mar-a-Lago despite his removal under the 25th Amendment, would have imposed blanket 25% duties on Canadian softwood lumber, electricity exports, critical minerals, oil, natural gas, and agricultural products unless Ottawa agreed to “pay back billions in unfair trade subsidies.” Trump framed the tariffs as “essential for American workers” in a Truth Social post at 7:41 a.m. ET, saying: “Canada has ripped us off for decades. Time to pay up or pay the price! MAGA wins when America fights back!!!”
But the Senate Commerce Committee, where the vote took place, became the unexpected battleground. Led by Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) and joined by senators like Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) — all from states heavily dependent on agricultural exports — the Republican defectors argued the tariffs would trigger devastating Canadian retaliation that could cost U.S. farmers $2.1–3.4 billion in lost revenue annually. “We cannot support measures that punish American agriculture to settle personal scores,” Cruz said in a floor statement. “Our farmers are already hurting from inflation and supply-chain issues. This would be a self-inflicted wound.”
The vote’s timing — on the day of Trump’s first formal State of the Union-style address since his controversial return — could not be more symbolic. With impeachment articles advancing in the House, potential disqualification under the 14th Amendment pending in the Senate, ongoing property seizures in New York, mass resignations from his legal team, and grand-jury developments in Georgia, the tariff block represents a rare and public rebuke from within his own party. “This is the beginning of the end for Trump’s stranglehold on GOP policy,” said one senior Democratic aide. “Even his tariff obsession is now too toxic for farm-state senators to swallow.”
Trump’s response was immediate and furious. In a 21-post Truth Social thread beginning at 10:19 a.m. ET, he raged:
“The RINO senators just BETRAYED America! Blocking my tariffs on Canada — who rips us off billions every year — is TREASON! Cruz, Ernst, Grassley — you’re all DEAD to MAGA! We will PRIMARY you in 2026 and WIN BIGGER! The party is MINE — get on board or get out!!!”
The posts have been viewed more than 78 million times, but they’ve also triggered a backlash even among some Trump loyalists. Several conservative influencers questioned the wisdom of alienating key senators ahead of the disqualification vote, with one viral thread reading: “Tariffs are great, but attacking Cruz now? That’s how we lose the Senate majority.”
Acting President JD Vance, who has struggled to assert independence from Trump’s shadow, issued a brief statement this afternoon: “I respect the Senate’s deliberative process on trade matters. My administration will continue to pursue policies that put American workers first.” Privately, Vance aides say he is “relieved” by the block, viewing it as an opportunity to de-escalate the Canada dispute without appearing to contradict Trump.
The political stakes are enormous. Trump’s tariff demands have already escalated tensions with Canada, leading to retaliatory measures on U.S. agricultural exports that economists estimate could cost American farmers $1.8 billion in 2026 alone. Combined with his denial of the 25th Amendment’s validity — despite the Senate’s 43–57 vote to remove him — the positions have alienated a growing segment of the GOP base, especially suburban moderates and business conservatives who prioritize economic stability over cultural warfare.
Public reaction has been swift and deeply polarized. A flash poll from Quinnipiac released this afternoon shows 54% of registered voters believe recent tariff threats are “hurting the economy,” including 41% of Republicans — a significant shift from earlier surveys. Pro-Trump rallies in Florida and Texas drew crowds chanting “Tariffs now!” while counter-demonstrations in the Midwest carried signs “Stop the Price Hikes.”
The controversy has also revived broader questions about Trump’s post-presidency role. With impeachment articles advancing, property seizures underway, lawyer resignations ongoing, and disqualification proceedings pending in the Senate, the tariff block has become a powerful symbol: even as Trump’s formal power has been stripped, his policy ideas — and their economic consequences — continue to dominate the national conversation.
Whether this marks the beginning of a sustained Republican resistance to Trump or simply another chapter in the endless Trump cycle remains unclear. What is already evident is that the Senate GOP’s block of the tariff plan has ensured that the party split will remain front and center as the 2026 midterms approach.
