Trump tariffs caused a market meltdown. Could they sink the GOP's political fortunes too?

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

62% : The stakes are high, and Trump is intimately familiar with how the economy can decide the fate of political parties and their leaders.
53% : While the markets looked "pretty glum" in recent days, Trump celebrated the big jump in stocks Wednesday.
49% : Yet after days of digging in, Trump less than 24 hours later had relented and announced a 10% reciprocal tariff - lower than what many countries faced - for everyone except China for 90 days.
46% : How long Trump has to show progress in his tariff negotiations is an open question.
44% : The Biden economy - despite strong employment and a soaring stock market - proved wanting for many voters, and Trump has continued to criticize it months after taking office.
40% : But even Republicans are now saying that Trump owns the economy - for better or worse - by injecting so much uncertainty into it.
39% : For his part, Trump told reporters in announcing Wednesday's tariff pause that "nothing's over yet" on his major push to revamp American trade policy.
38% : Conant argued that the GOP will benefit if Trump is successful, but warned that the alternative could rock the party.
37% : " After Trump announced his tariffs last week, markets plummeted, business leaders issued dire warnings and economists predicted rising prices to come.
37% : Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., a staunch Trump ally, told Greer on Tuesday that Republicans recognize that the United States' trading partners have "taken advantage of us." "But you're also hearing that our constituents rely on trade, and they're going to be harmed by it," he said.
32% : " Cruz, who is closely aligned with Trump and his MAGA movement, said tariffs should be used to negotiate deals and not become a long-term economic tool.
31% : Now Republicans increasingly are nervous that they're the ones who could be forced to take their medicine in the 2026 midterm elections if the president's tariff gambit sours voters and Trump is left fighting with a Democratic majority in Congress for his final two years in the White House.
30% : "People were jumping a little bit out of line,'' Trump told reporters at the White House in explaining his reasons for the tariff pause.
30% : "They were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid.'' Blaming Biden During his 2024 campaign, Trump hammered on high inflation under President Joe Biden and promised a new golden age for the American economy.
29% : Nervous GOP Republicans are loath to buck Trump after years of seeing him attack GOP dissenters and drive them out of office through retirements or supporting primary challenges.
29% : They recognize if Trump breaks the economy he owns it and they're very concerned about the potential impact of tariffs.
25% : In the face of mounting political blowback that shows how explosive the issue is, Trump on Wednesday paused the most severe tariffs for every country except China.

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