Senator Cruz warns of 2026 GOP 'bloodbath' if Trump's tariffs spark recession
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has warned of a potential "bloodbath" for his party in the 2026 midterm elections if President Donald Trump's tariffs negatively impact the US economy, informs Financial Times.
Cruz also predicted a "terrible" fate for the US economy if a full-scale trade war erupts or if any retaliatory measures on American goods remain in place for an extended period.
Cruz's comments, made on his Verdict podcast on Friday, marked the sharpest warning from a member of the president's party since Trump introduced tariffs that triggered a global market crisis.
"If Trump’s tariffs and any retaliatory measures remain in place long-term and push the US into a recession, particularly a bad recession, 2026 in all likelihood politically would be a bloodbath. You would face a Democrat House, and you might even face a Democrat Senate," Cruz said.
The Financial Times reports that Republican lawmakers have begun to worry about the impact of Trump's tariffs on the economy and their party's prospects of maintaining control over both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Their concerns were heightened when Americans witnessed about $5.4 trillion in market capitalization vanish during two days of Wall Street declines.
Recently, Republican Chuck Grassley introduced a bill in the Senate, alongside a Democrat, to restore Congressional control over tariff policy. Under the proposed law, new tariffs would be canceled 60 days after imposition unless Congress approves them, and there would be a mechanism for lawmakers to repeal tariffs at any time.
Support for the bill increased on April 4, when Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell, Jerry Moran, and Thom Tillis signed on as co-sponsors.
The Financial Times notes that the bill is likely more symbolic than practical. Still, it highlights growing divisions within the Republican Party as lawmakers express concern about the trade policy’s impact on export-dependent voters and their chances of re-election.
New Trump's tariffs
This week, President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on imports from all countries. The rates range from 10% to 50%, depending on the country exporting the goods.
Specifically, a 10% tariff has been set for Ukraine.
For more details on the potential global economic consequences of these changes and how other countries are responding, read RBC-Ukraine's report.
Notably, when Trump imposed new tariffs on imports from various countries, he did not spare even remote islands inhabited by penguins.
