‘Free trader’ Ron Johnson floats permanent tariffs to shrink federal deficit

Published



Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), an “unabashed free trader” and one of the loudest megabill holdouts, proposed codifying President Donald Trump’s tariffs into law to reduce the deficit.

Johnson has voiced skepticism at Trump’s tariffs and previously said the United States should not count on the revenue when crafting his “big, beautiful bill.” But he told reporters Thursday he might be freshly receptive to them as further spending cuts become unlikely in the Senate.

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.