GOP Congressman Says Trump Tariffs Will “Hurt Everyone”

On CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) was asked about President Donald Trump‘s new 30% tariff on goods from Mexico.

Host Dana Bash asked Gonzales: “The president says he’s putting a 30% tariff on all goods from Mexico, your state’s biggest trading partner. Will they hurt your constituents, the tariffs?”

Gonzales replied: “It may, but I do support the president in this.” He added: “I think for too long Mexico has gotten away with, you know, allowed to do about anything.”

The congressman also said he was appreciative of Trump’s deadline (August 1).

“The president has given us a couple of weeks to try to come up with a solution,” Gonzales said, claiming the tactic is effective with Mexico, who according to Gonzales, “is coming to the table more.”

Note: Of all 50 states, Texas trades the most with Mexico ($272.33 billion in 2023; California is second with $94.75 billion). According to World Atlas, “Texas trades more with Mexico than the United States does with the United Kingdom, Spain, and Brazil combined” and “trade between Mexico and Texas has created over 8 million jobs, many of which are concentrated in Texas.”

As the interview went on, Gonzales’s defense of the tariffs was revealed to be more specifically a defense of the tariff threat, as he eventually answered Bash’s original question, saying: “But yes, if these tariffs come into place, it hurts everyone.”

Note: Gonzales is considered a moderate Republican. In 2023, Gonzales was the sole Texas Republican in the House to oppose the Border Safety and Security Act of 2023 and as a result was censured from the Texas Republican Party. He has also voted for bipartisan gun safety legislation and gay marriage legislation.