Top Republicans are trashing Donald Trump’s proposed 50-year mortgages and $2,000 tariff checks, warning that such moves would only fuel debt and inflation as prices and approval ratings bite.
The president, 79, has argued that his tariff plan would recycle trade revenue to “moderate-income” families and that his 50-year mortgage idea would ease monthly payments.
But senior GOP lawmakers keep pointing to deficits and the risk of inflation, and they say the administration’s words don’t match reality.
Sen. Rand Paul told The Hill he’s concerned about a “giddiness of the stock market.”
“A lot of the money that was given to people… went into the stock market,” the Kentucky Republican said. “I am concerned there’s a possibility of a severe correction. I think the tariffs could be part of causing that correction as well.”
Sen. Ron Johnson flatly rejected the president’s proposed 50-year mortgages, saying: “I wouldn’t take one out. It’s not a good idea.” Sen. John Kennedy said the Senate Banking Committee should hold hearings on the idea before it goes any further, warning of “a lot of… extra interest” that would be accrued.
Republican lawmakers also suggested Trump’s proposed $2,000 tariff checks would be irresponsible, with Sen. Rick Scott telling The Hill, “I’d rather pay down the debt… I worry about inflation every day.” Sen. James Lankford, likewise, warned that any “dividend” paid out would still add to the debt.
The hesitation about Trump’s proposals comes as his national approval rating has slipped to about 42 percent, with 55 percent disapproving, per Decision Desk HQ’s polling average.
The White House has been promoting record stock highs, but ordinary households are still feeling the pinch, with inflation running at 3 percent year-over-year in September, the same rate as when Trump took office in January 2025, according to the Labor Department.
Even headline-friendly stats aren’t closing the gap. The American Farm Bureau Federation says the classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost $55.18 this year—about 5 percent lower than 2024—yet that hasn’t moved overall sentiment.
Economists and even some Trump-allied Republicans have also raised alarms about the idea of $2,000 checks, with outside estimates pegging annual costs near $600 billion, far above likely tariff revenue.
Republicans told The Hill their skepticism of Trump’s latest proposals comes from what they’re hearing back home. Lawmakers are pushing back more because voters are pressing them, not because of a “revolt,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, adding, “We really are a mouthpiece for our constituents.”
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.
The post Even Republicans Aren’t Buying Trump’s Plan to Bring Down Soaring Costs appeared first on The Daily Beast.
