Senator Ted Cruz

They don't see them as means to an end. They see the tariffs as the end, and they want them to be a permanent feature of our economic system, the United States having very, very high tariffs, our trading partners all having very high retaliatory tariffs. I think that would be a terrible outcome. I think that would be terrible for my home state of Texas. I think it would be terrible for the country.

And I'll tell you candidly, I don't know which path we're going to go down. I am trying very hard and I'm repeatedly urging the president go down path number one, but he's got voices that are urging path number two as well. And so I think that uncertainty is going to persist for some time.

And I'll tell you candidly, I don't know which path we're going to go down. I am trying very hard and I'm repeatedly urging the president go down path number one, but he's got voices that are urging path number two as well. And so I think that uncertainty is going to persist for some time.

And I'll tell you candidly, I don't know which path we're going to go down. I am trying very hard and I'm repeatedly urging the president go down path number one, but he's got voices that are urging path number two as well. And so I think that uncertainty is going to persist for some time.

Look, I think if we see high tariffs in perpetuity, you see a lot of businesses, their costs go up dramatically. I think you'd see businesses going out of business. I think you'd see prices going up significantly. I think there's a real risk of going into a recession, all of which is a terrible outcome. I don't want to see that happen. But I want to underscore, you know, it's interesting.

Look, I think if we see high tariffs in perpetuity, you see a lot of businesses, their costs go up dramatically. I think you'd see businesses going out of business. I think you'd see prices going up significantly. I think there's a real risk of going into a recession, all of which is a terrible outcome. I don't want to see that happen. But I want to underscore, you know, it's interesting.

Look, I think if we see high tariffs in perpetuity, you see a lot of businesses, their costs go up dramatically. I think you'd see businesses going out of business. I think you'd see prices going up significantly. I think there's a real risk of going into a recession, all of which is a terrible outcome. I don't want to see that happen. But I want to underscore, you know, it's interesting.

There's been a fair amount of press coverage saying, oh, Cruz is critical of the Trump tariffs. Let me be very clear. I think Trump has an opportunity to do something that no other president in our lifetimes has done, which is to have real leverage to finally get our trading partners to lower the barriers they have to U.S. goods and services.

There's been a fair amount of press coverage saying, oh, Cruz is critical of the Trump tariffs. Let me be very clear. I think Trump has an opportunity to do something that no other president in our lifetimes has done, which is to have real leverage to finally get our trading partners to lower the barriers they have to U.S. goods and services.

There's been a fair amount of press coverage saying, oh, Cruz is critical of the Trump tariffs. Let me be very clear. I think Trump has an opportunity to do something that no other president in our lifetimes has done, which is to have real leverage to finally get our trading partners to lower the barriers they have to U.S. goods and services.

President Trump is exactly right that there are lots of countries across this globe that trade ridiculously unfairly with us. that we opened up our market wide open to them, and they put huge barriers that stop us from selling our goods and services in their country. And listen, it's not complicated what President Trump's negotiating strategy is.

President Trump is exactly right that there are lots of countries across this globe that trade ridiculously unfairly with us. that we opened up our market wide open to them, and they put huge barriers that stop us from selling our goods and services in their country. And listen, it's not complicated what President Trump's negotiating strategy is.

President Trump is exactly right that there are lots of countries across this globe that trade ridiculously unfairly with us. that we opened up our market wide open to them, and they put huge barriers that stop us from selling our goods and services in their country. And listen, it's not complicated what President Trump's negotiating strategy is.

He often will walk up, smack someone in the head but with a two by four, and then negotiate from there. And with the tariffs he's announced, he's done the smack. Now, what I've been urging him to do is cut the deals. Come and cut the deals. get the other countries to dramatically lower their barriers.

He often will walk up, smack someone in the head but with a two by four, and then negotiate from there. And with the tariffs he's announced, he's done the smack. Now, what I've been urging him to do is cut the deals. Come and cut the deals. get the other countries to dramatically lower their barriers.

He often will walk up, smack someone in the head but with a two by four, and then negotiate from there. And with the tariffs he's announced, he's done the smack. Now, what I've been urging him to do is cut the deals. Come and cut the deals. get the other countries to dramatically lower their barriers.

And I will say it will be a rich irony if Donald J. Trump ends up being the greatest free trade president of our lifetimes. But I think that's entirely possible if he ends up negotiating some phenomenal deals. I hope that's the path we go down.

And I will say it will be a rich irony if Donald J. Trump ends up being the greatest free trade president of our lifetimes. But I think that's entirely possible if he ends up negotiating some phenomenal deals. I hope that's the path we go down.

And I will say it will be a rich irony if Donald J. Trump ends up being the greatest free trade president of our lifetimes. But I think that's entirely possible if he ends up negotiating some phenomenal deals. I hope that's the path we go down.

Look, I think we will see significant spending cuts. How broad they are, I don't know. I do think too much has been given to the level in the budget resolution of the House versus the Senate. I think at the end of the day, what matters is what's actually in the reconciliation package that passes.