Trump's Tariffs Threaten Republican Midterm Hopes

With midterms rapidly approaching, Republicans thought they had caught a break on the economy. After a year marked by high inflation and gas prices soaring due to the Iran conflict, both June and July's Consumer Price Index came in tame, with even grocery prices slipping for the first time in months.

However, President Trump returned to his long-standing obsession with tariffs, slapping 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of Canadian goods after talks between the White House and Canada collapsed. This move has revived what the Wall Street Journal called 'The Dumbest Trade War in History.'

The timing couldn't be worse for Republicans, who had been trying to soothe voters' concerns over the cost of living and build a midterm message around affordability. Now, tariffs and trade chaos are back in the news, and Republicans will likely pay the price.