Schumer: We Want to Take Tariff Authority from Trump We Allowed Biden to Have Because Trump’s ‘Going So Overboard’

During Tuesday night’s episode of CNN’s The Source, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) addressed growing concerns over President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs. When asked whether Democrats missed their chance to reassert congressional control over tariff authority while they held the majority under President Biden, Schumer argued that Congress has always possessed that power and should now act to reclaim it.

“Congress has always had the power to deal with tariffs, and we’ve always had these fights in the past on some of the tariff issues as well. But now that Trump is going so overboard, Congress can, has every legal authority to take those powers back, and that’s what we aim to do,” Schumer said.

Host Brianna Keilar pressed the senator, pointing out how long Congress has historically deferred tariff-setting power to the executive branch. “On the tariff issue, you’ve been in the Senate for more than a quarter-century, and, in that time, Congress has been really willing to delegate tariff power to the president. Should Democrats have reclaimed that power when they had last — the majority? You saw what Trump did in his first term with tariffs,” she asked.

Schumer pushed back, suggesting that although Trump took bold actions during his first term, Democrats were able to limit the impact of those moves. He argued that what’s happening now under Trump’s new plan is far more extreme.

“Well, yeah, but we were able to beat back a lot of what Trump did on tariffs. And nothing is as extensive as this is, over 180 countries affected. Hey, this has been so carelessly done that they’re even taxing — they’re putting tariffs on penguins. There are two islands near Australia –.”

Before he could continue, Keilar interrupted with a follow-up: “I hear what you’re saying, the tariffs are extraordinary now compared to what they were in his first term. But what he did in his first term was also pretty extraordinary. Should Democrats have protected against this?”

Schumer reiterated that legislative authority over tariffs has always rested with Congress and insisted that now is the time to reassert it. He also called on Republicans to break their silence and join Democrats in taking action.

“Congress has always had the power to deal with tariffs, and we’ve always had these fights in the past on some of the tariff issues as well. But now that Trump is going so overboard, Congress can, has every legal authority to take those powers back, and that’s what we aim to do. And we hope our colleagues in the Republican Party, knowing how bad this is, instead of just trembling in their boots because they’re afraid of Trump, join with us and side with the American people.”

{Matzav.com}