WASHINGTON — When news broke that President Donald Trump would issue a pause on reciprocal tariffs, there were cheers and quiet smiles among Senate Republicans who were meeting behind closed doors at the time.
The news brought sighs of relief, particularly for those who represent agricultural states that rely on trade for business. Despite nearly a week of market turmoil and financial uncertainty, none of that seemed to matter for Republican lawmakers who said the abrupt pause was the president’s plan all along.
“I approve of the 90-day pause,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a post on X.
“I think she means ‘The Art of the Deal,‘” he said in another post responding to a Senate Democrats’ accusation that Trump’s tariff moves amounted to “extortion.”
That tagline, “Art of the Deal,” refers to a book written by Trump in 1987 outlining the president and then-business mogul’s advice for success. But the catchphrase has also taken on new meaning in Trump’s second administration, and it quickly emerged as the messaging takeaway for Republicans to sell his tariff strategy.
“Behold the ‘Art of the Deal,‘” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement following Trump’s pause announcement. “President Trump has created leverage, brought MANY countries to the table, and will deliver for American workers, American manufacturers, and America’s future!”
Republicans framed the tariff back-and-forth as a victory for the Trump administration, arguing the president forced countries to the negotiating table.
“I think it’s a win for America, and I think you have to conclude it’s a win for him,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said of Trump.
Others said the move revealed Trump’s motives to use the tariffs as a negotiating tactic rather than a permanent policy, something that had been unclear due to mixed messaging from the White House.
“It proves that Trump’s a good deal maker,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who in recent days has sought to restore congressional authority over tariffs, said after the announcement. “It shows that there’s kind of an end game. And I think it’s going to bring credibility to his whole process.”
Still, some GOP lawmakers who are wary of tariffs approached the news with some caution.
“I think they are checking it out and seeing what works and if they are kinda getting the response that they hope to get,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. “I think it’s a work in progress but it sounds like they are getting some good results.”
Trump abruptly announced in a Truth Social post on Wednesday afternoon he would be implementing a “90-day pause” on reciprocal tariffs that were set to take effect that morning, instead ordering a 10% tariff as a “substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff” in its place. The change comes as Trump says more than 75 countries have requested negotiations to adjust trade relations after he imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imports last week.
“A deal’s gonna be made with all of them,” Trump said.
It’s not yet clear what the new round of tariffs will look like for Canada and Mexico who were already affected by the initial baseline tariffs, and whether the 10% tariff announced on Wednesday would be added to those.
But while Republicans and White House officials laud the so-called pause as the “Art of the Deal,” Democrats are suggesting Trump was pressured to pull out of the higher tariffs due to its negative effect on the global markets.
For example, the S&P 500 lost nearly $6 trillion over the last week, marking the most significant four-day loss since its creation, according to USA Today. Most of those losses were recouped on Wednesday.
“Let it be clear, Donald Trump is feeling the heat from Democrats and across America, about how bad these tariffs are,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said on Wednesday. “He is retreating, and that is a good thing.”
At least one Republican echoed those sentiments, suggesting that “the marketplace has spooked them.”
“Hopefully there’ll be some people talking some sense into the policy and being less extreme,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told reporters. “There should be a learning curve here. When you add a bunch of tariffs, you lose $6 trillion in the marketplace. When you get rid of the tariffs, guess what? It comes bounding back.”