“Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy remarked that major Republican donors are “terrified” after President Trump implemented sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, including steep tariffs on China, shaking up international markets.
The host made the comment when speaking to Fox News Channel congressional correspondent Chad Pergram, who highlighted the uncertainty among lawmakers as the tariff plan went into place Wednesday morning. Doocy asked what pressure GOP lawmakers were facing from constituents.
“A lot of them have major donors who are invested in the stock markets, and they’re terrified,” Doocy said in comments highlighted by Mediaite.
Pergram responded that he weas “starting to hear some of that” fear among GOP lawmakers.
“Some of them will concede that privately, but again, most of them publicly will say, ‘look, we’re willing to give him that runway,’” Pergram said, referring to the president.
Pergram highlighted Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and his concern for the American economy amid the tariff plan and ensuing trade war. Paul has been adamant that the tariffs won’t help the U.S.
His frustration with the tariffs came as seven GOP senators signed on to a bipartisan bill that sought to have Congressional oversight over the president’s tariffs.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was one of those senators to support the bill. During a hearing Tuesday, he questioned “whose throat” he gets “to choke” if the tariff plan proves to be wrong.
Pergram noted that like Tillis, “some people are very leery” about the tariffs.