BURSTPresident Trump is pressuring former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Republicans he's labeled "disloyal" in the upper chamber to vote against Democrats' resolution to bar his emergency declaration to impose tariffs on Canada.
In a post to Truth Social early Wednesday, Trump willed the senators to "hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy."
The message — targeted at McConnell, as well as GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Rand Paul (Ky.) — argued that those who do not stand up to the resolution "are playing with the lives of the American people, and right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels."
His request comes after Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) forged a resolution earlier this week that would terminate the president's declaration to slap tariffs on Canada, one of the U.S.'s largest trading partners. The vote is expected on Wednesday.
Trump railed against the move, arguing that the House would "never approve" the resolution.
"The Senate Bill is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans, namely these four, in that it is not going anywhere because the House will never approve it and I, as your President, will never sign it," he wrote.
The president added, "What is wrong with them, other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly known as TDS? Who can want this to happen to our beautiful families, and why?"
It is the second time he has blasted the measure, arguing earlier this week that it would be "devastating" for the Republican Party and U.S. as a whole if the resolution passes.
"Major progress is being made. Don't let the Democrats have a Victory," he posted on Tuesday.
His comments come as the Trump administration's sweeping tariff agenda — including 25 percent tariffs on certain goods coming from Canada, China and Mexico — is set to go into place on Wednesday. The president has declared the day, which will also include reciprocal taxes, "Liberation Day."
In his justification for the tariffs, Trump has pointed to boosting domestic manufacturing and argued that the nations have done little to curb the flow of drugs, such as fentanyl, from coming into the U.S.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has also urged his GOP colleagues to oppose the resolution, contending the tariff on Canada is needed in the U.S.’s fight against drug trafficking.
“If we’re serious about ending the fentanyl crisis in America, we need to address the entirety of the crisis. We’re not going to solve the problem by going after just part of it,” Thune said on Tuesday. “Ending this emergency declaration would tell the cartels that they should shift their focus to the northern border.”
Collins, Paul and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have previously sounded the alarm about potential economic consequences from the tariffs on the U.S.'s northern neighbor.
Trump took his message to voters, willing them to contact their senators to get them on board against Kaine's resolution, which was also sponsored by Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Mark Warner (Va.).
“To the people of the Great States of Kentucky, Alaska, and Maine, please contact these Senators and get them to FINALLY adhere to Republican Values and Ideals,” he wrote. “They have been extremely difficult to deal with and, unbelievably disloyal to hardworking Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Party itself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”