Bloodbath Ahead for Republicans

TEHRAN (Defapress) - According to Russia Today, Ted Cruz, the Republican U.S. senator, referring to the so-called "Liberty Day" tariffs imposed by the administration of Donald Trump, the U.S. president, against major U.S. trade partners, said that if these tariffs backfire, the Republican Party must prepare for a "bloodbath" in next year's midterm elections.

Trump announced sweeping tariffs earlier this week against a large number of U.S. trade partners—a move that caused the U.S. stock market to experience its biggest drop since the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to these tariffs, China announced retaliatory 34% tariffs on imports of U.S. goods, and other countries also pledged countermeasures.

Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas, said in a podcast on the social media platform "X" that he disagrees with the Trump administration's claim that these new tariffs will lead to an "economic boom" in the U.S.

Expressing concern that this move could trigger a global trade war, he said these tariffs would lead to job losses within the U.S. and severe damage to the country's economy.

The American politician added that if this policy continues long-term, the U.S. will enter a "severe recession" and further warned that the 2026 midterm elections would "most likely be a political bloodbath for Republicans."

He added, "If we're in the middle of a recession and people are hurting badly, they will punish the party in power, and you could end up with a Democratic House or even a Democratic Senate. Look, I want this (the tariffs) to succeed, but my definition of success may differ from the White House's. I believe American prosperity should come through a sharp reduction in foreign tariffs, which would then lead to lower domestic tariffs."

On Friday, Trump defended the tariffs on his social media platform, "Truth Social," writing that "his policies will never change" and then called on foreign investors to come to the U.S. and "get richer than ever before!"

Following the implementation of these tariffs, JPMorgan Chase revised its initial forecast for a global recession, raising it from 40% to 60%.