National Review Urges Congress to End the Raw Chaos of Trump's Trade War: No Free Man Wants to Be at the Mercy of a King
Source: MEDIAite
Apr 8th, 2025, 1:05 pm
National Review called on Congress to end President Donald Trumps trade war in an editorial laying out both the political and constitutional cases for doing so on Tuesday.
After arguing that Trump had thrown the worlds economy into turmoil by declaring that Americas trade deficit constituted an emergency and imposing protectionist barriers that exceeded even the infamous Smoot-Hawley law in its scope, the conservative magazine dove into its case.
If it seems preposterous that a single person could enjoy this much power over the American economy and, with it, the global economy rest assured that it is. In Article I, the Constitution vests the power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises in Congress, not in the president, it observed. As a result, the president has no power to impose tariffs that he has not been accorded by an act of the legislature. If it desires, Congress can choose to take back as much of that power as it sees fit. It ought to do so and do so now.
The editorial continued:
In essence, the case for Congress fulfilling its responsibilities is the same as the case for written law per se: No free man wants to be at the mercy of a king.
The very fact that our system charges Congress with setting tariffs ought to be sufficient to get Congress to do its job. So, too, ought the presidents cynical conflation of his personal political preferences and the existence of an emergency that unlocks his absolute powers. But, if duty to their oaths does not move them, the raw chaos of the last five days should certainly substitute as motivation. What has happened since last Thursday is hard to fathom. Based on an ever-shifting series of rationales, characterized by an embarrassing methodology, and punctuated with an extraordinary arrogance toward the countrys constitutional order, the Trump administration has alienated our global allies, discombobulated our domestic businesses, decimated our capital markets, and increased the likelihood of serious recession.
Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/news/national-review-urges-congress-to-end-the-raw-chaos-of-trumps-trade-war-no-free-man-wants-to-be-at-the-mercy-of-a-king/
Full headline: National Review Urges Congress to End the Raw Chaos of Trumps Trade War: No Free Man Wants to Be at the Mercy of a King

Unwind Your Mind
(2,249 posts)Congress has the power to stop this
regnaD kciN
(26,960 posts)Gee, traditional conservatives faces are delicious! Leopard
Justice matters.
(8,285 posts)I call him felonious hair furhair for a reason.
They should have known better...
wordstroken
(1,051 posts)
Ollie Garkie
(282 posts)"Hey Congress can you please get this leopard off my face?" -National Review and the Kochs
The monster has turned on its makers.
birdographer
(2,937 posts)...the Trump administration has alienated our global allies, discombobulated our domestic businesses, decimated our capital markets, and increased the likelihood of serious recession.
And turned our country into a disgrace and made decent Americans embarrassed to be called Americans. He showed us that, without any doubt, our elected officials are spineless cowards who could not care less about the people who voted them into Congress but are only driven by greed. He has damaged, and will continue to damage at his whim, the foundations of this country.
We need something stronger than our present Congress to stop him.
GiqueCee
(2,128 posts)... but with a big-ass Euclid earthmover, maybe. And that Euclid is US. Take our elected representatives and senators to the woodshed for a Come-to-Jesus moment. Burn down their phone lines, crash their websites, scream bloody murder in the streets. Let them know that they either get on the right side of history now, or they will be history come the mid-terms.
FDR once hosted a group of ladies who were demanding his support for an issue close to their hearts. He said, "I agree with you! Now make me do it."
Our congress critters need to be reminded periodically that they work for US, not the other way around. We've all seen the insufferable arrogance of Republicans blowing off their constituents. And swine like Moscow Mitch McConnell have plumbed new depths of depraved indifference toward those they were elected to serve. Legend has it that even his daughters despise him.
But Bernie and AOC can't do it alone; we gotta make noise, and lots of it. And make sure you spare some time for John Roberts and his corrupt cohorts. They come running to his aid whenever Trump rings his Pavlovian bell. There are also a number of corrupt judges who deserve to be doxxed.
And finally, a LOT more noise has to be made letting people know that every word Trump says, and every rotten thing he does is because... PUTIN TOLD HIM TO! The Gangrenous Boil on the Ass of Humanity is a fucking traitor, and he should be dealt with accordingly.
progressoid
(51,266 posts)and Senate Dems seem to be stuck in "deer in the headlights" mode.
PortTack
(35,526 posts)Money and power lies, they arent going to be able to just look the other way. Leo and company are not going to stand idly by and watch their fortunes drop off a cliff. Little chance they will not be successful with their suit, but if they arent, they are going to turn the heat up on congress like nothing theyve ever seen. Their reelection funds will completely dry up.
DENVERPOPS
(11,740 posts)And "they" continue to be overwhelmed and don't have a clue of what to do............there is no leadership OR organization.....
angrychair
(10,538 posts)That 10 Democrats helped get passed give the Mango Mussolini unquestionable authority to do all the tariffs he wanted?
Interesting how this all comes back to that act by spinless cowards.
It didn't have to be this way.
MayReasonRule
(3,089 posts)Our previous experience with fascism has proven that there is only one solution.
Akakoji
(276 posts)We must attack every Republican in every state at every level. They make Trump possible. Start calling out their specific names. Quickly.
Joinfortmill
(17,830 posts)PedroXimenez
(657 posts)they've shown that a Republican president can violate everything they supposedly believe in, and they still support him because he's a Republican. So why keep writing about these principles they don't believe in?
DENVERPOPS
(11,740 posts)How many Tyrant/Dictator countries have a house and senate, or any "legislative" branch????????????? The Republicans in the House and Senate are so short sighted they haven't realized the useful days of the legislative branch are numbered !
Same for the USSC........there is no need for a "Judicial" Branch in a Tyranny or Dictatorship......
With the outcome of the last election, Trump/Republicans are already throwing their voters under the bus, and the Trumphumpers are too stupid to realize that by voting for Trump, "this one last time" their votes will never be needed again..........
Same with Congress and the USSC..............When Democracy is obliterated, there is no purpose or use for voters, or either of those two branches of government............same for any and all regulatory agencies: FCC, FAA, FBI, SEC, NLRB, you get the idea........
Warpy
(113,214 posts)since they're all so terrified of losing their jobs when the tech billionaires primary them out of office to install complete crazies.
Eventually there will be a rebellion as they realize their jobs are toast, anyway, as even diehard Republican Koolaid drinkers have finally caught a clue, planning to couch sit instead of bothering to vote. Likely it will come too late.
Karasu
(937 posts)At this point, they need to prove to the whole fucking world they still have it in themselves to do that.
cstanleytech
(27,535 posts)And for good reason as evidenced by Trump's actions.
markodochartaigh
(2,627 posts)on the unfathomable that one person should be allowed so much control over the US and world economy. But I'm going to have to go with Sallust on "No free man..."
Namque pauci libertatem, pars magna iustos dominos volunt.
(Few men desire freedom, the greater part desire just masters.)
Sallust