Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has once again called on Congress to act decisively to halt what she describes as economic instability driven by President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff policies, outlining a legislative path to rein in his authority.
What Happened: Over the weekend, Warren posted a video clip on X, formerly Twitter, from her earlier MSNBC appearance with Lawrence O’Donnell, where she criticized Trump’s latest tariff maneuvers as “economic chaos.”
“Congress has the power to stop this economic chaos right now,” Warren said. “Here’s the plan to end Trump’s game of red-light, green-light with worldwide tariffs.”
In the clip, Warren reiterated that Congress could block Trump’s ability to impose new tariffs by nullifying the legal justification he’s using.
“All we have to do is pass a resolution in the House and the Senate, declaring that the particular device he’s using—this fake emergency,” is not valid, she said. “And that will take away his power to do that.”
Why It Matters: Warren’s comments follow a turbulent week in trade policy. On Friday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a notice exempting electronic devices—like iPhones, laptops, and tablets—from a 145% tariff on Chinese goods.
But over the weekend, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said on ABC News that the exemption is only temporary. Those products, he said, will be “included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two.”
Trump also weighed in on Truth Social, denying that an exemption was ever issued. “These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’ The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it.”
Warren called the tariff rollouts “chaos and corruption.” She argued that the uncertainty deters investment and gives Trump’s political allies preferential treatment, reported CNN.
“Investors will not invest in the United States when Donald Trump is playing ‘red light, green light’ with tariffs,” Warren said. “And saying, ‘Oh, and for my special donors, you get a special exemption.'”
Despite the economic warnings, administration officials insist the tariffs will strengthen U.S. industry and national security. Senior Trump advisers, including Peter Navarro and Kevin Hassett, defended the policy in weekend interviews, the report noted.
JPMorgan JPM now places the odds of a U.S. recession at 60%, up from 40%, citing rising trade tensions and policy uncertainty. Goldman Sachs GS has similarly raised its risk outlook.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald On Shutterstock.com
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