Trump’s Tariff Flip Caused Market Whiplash. Republicans Say That Means It’s Working.

Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill see little conflict between Trump’s tariff policy and their constituents’ pocketbook concerns.

Bernie Moreno

Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA via AP

Republican lawmakers are making the case to constituents that the roller-coaster ride the market has been on as a result of President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariff policy is a sign his negotiating skills can get results.

Members of Congress, who are preparing to leave for a two-week recess where they’ll hear from their constituents, are navigating a complicated landscape: On the one hand, they want to support the president’s agenda. On the other, they want to keep their voters — including those with pocketbook concerns over the tariffs — calm.

But after Trump reversed course Wednesday on most of his tariffs with a sudden 90-day pause, few lawmakers acknowledged those concerns could be in conflict.