GOP leader tells his own party to let Trump have his way on his disastrous trade war

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told Bloomberg News on Wednesday that Republicans need to support Trump’s disastrous trade war in order to … not have a trade war.

It sounds confusing and backward, but here’s the quote:

“At the end of the day we should support the president so we can get an agreement so we don’t have tariffs,” McCarthy told Bloomberg’s Erik Wasson. “Them talking about not supporting him undercuts his ability to do that.”

Basically, McCarthy is begging Republicans to stop antagonizing Trump — who is known to act on his worst impulses when he’s mad.

Of course, supporting Trump’s disastrous trade war is also a risky move, given that Trump’s logic behind placing steadily increasing tariffs on Mexico as some kind of retribution for the Central American migrant crisis also makes no sense.

Experts say a trade war could send the economy into a tailspin, increasing prices for everyday consumers.

Vox reported that a trade war with Mexico could increase costs for American families by up to $900 a year. That’s effectively a tax increase from a Republican Party that rails against taxes at every turn.

Not to mention, McCarthy is from California — a state that would be disproportionally hurt by a trade war with Mexico.

In fact, a study found that the trade war would lead to roughly 50,000 job losses in California, according to a survey from the research firm Perryman Group and reported by CNBC.

Of course, only some Republicans have spoken out about Trump’s tariff threat against Mexico.

And as we’ve seen in the past from people like North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, even Republicans who say they are against something Trump does often turn around and vote with him anyway.

But it’s telling that McCarthy has to ask his members to back up Trump even when Trump is wrong in order to try to prevent a temper tantrum that could wreak havoc on the economic stability of the country.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.