Senate GOP Revolts, joins Dems to block Trump’s Brazil tariffs amid Shutdown: Find out why

U.S. President Donald Trump faced a setback in the Senate as five Republicans revolted and joined Democrats in a bid to block Trump’s Brazil tariffs amid the shutdown.

In the Senate, the bipartisan vote approved a resolution aimed at blocking Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports.

Although the Senate passed the measure, a new House GOP procedural rule blocks it from advancing until next year.

Five Senate Republicans—Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, and Thom Tillis—revolted and voted in favor of limiting Trump’s executive trade authority.

Their decision came in the backdrop of strong pressure from Vice President JD Vance, who reportedly insisted to Republicans behind closed doors that Republicans not oppose the president.

Vance urged that tariffs were Trump’s “leverage” in negotiating stronger trade deals and warned that stripping those tools from the presidency would be a major mistake.

The tariffs, the bone of contention, were enacted in July, with Donald Trump claiming Brazil posed an “extraordinary threat” to the United States. However, critics on both sides of the aisle have remained unconvinced.

Meanwhile, resolution backer Senator Tim Kaine said the Brazil tariff plan seemed driven more by personal relationships than national interest, a reference to Trump’s past support for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces imprisonment over charges tied to the election fallout.

It's not the first time the Trump administration has faced a Senate roadblock.

In fact, the chamber has challenged Trump’s tariff strategies multiple times, including tariffs against Canada this year.

With the shutdown getting deeper and tensions escalating, this latest clash spotlights a bigger issue: How far will the GOP defend executive power-and how hard will opponents push back?