Kevin McCarthy. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Bloomberg News on Wednesday that Senate Republicans need to support President Trump's tariff threat against Mexico in order to give the White House a strong hand in negotiations, even if they're opposed to the proposal.
"End of the day we should support the president so we can get an agreement so we don't have tariffs. Them talking about not supporting him undercuts his ability to do that."
Why it matters: Most Republicans are fundamentally opposed to these tariffs, as became even clearer on Tuesday when senators warned the White House that the Mexico threat has little to no support from GOP lawmakers. McCarthy, in a roundabout way, is arguing that Republicans who raise their concerns will undermine negotiations with Mexico, which could ultimately hurt Trump's ability to strike an immigration deal and result in the very tariffs they are seeking to avoid.
What to watch: Mexico's foreign secretary will meet with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Wednesday. If the tariffs go into effect next week, as Trump has threatened, Congress may pass a resolution of disapproval — which would require two-thirds support in the House and Senate to override a Trump veto.
Go deeper: Trump's Mexico tariffs could decimate the auto industry