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Mitch McConnell changes tune on Trump's Mexico tariffs

In this image, McConnell speaks while pointing a finger.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks to the media on June 4. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

A few days after President Trump announced that tariffs against Mexican goods were "indefinitely suspended," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has backed off his previous tariff criticism.

What he's saying: "I think the cold, hard reality is, even though almost none of my members were enthusiastic about the prospect of tariffs, you have to give the president credit — it worked," he said, Politico reports.

Flashback: Last week, McConnell told administration officials that Trump "should hold off on imposing tariffs on Mexico until he can personally make his argument to Republicans in Congress," per Bloomberg.

  • One person in the room at a Senate Republican lunch told Bloomberg there was frustration that "the president doesn't understand how tariffs work and that they will hurt American consumers and businesses."
  • "There is not much support in my conference for tariffs, that's for sure," McConnell said last week.

Go deeper: Business "freak out" spurs plans to tame Trump on trade

Trump tariffs