As Senate Dumps Tariffs, Xi Wins in Trade Deal with Trump

The Senate has passed three resolutions opposing Trump’s tariffs — 51–47 against global tariffs, 50–46 on Canada, and 52–48 on Brazil.

Beijing secured immediate tariff rollbacks and suspended rare earth export controls without making a single structural concession on intellectual property, forced technology transfer, or Taiwan. (Photo: Daniel Torok, The White House Flickr)

Four Republicans crossed party lines in each vote: Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski. “The headlines wrote themselves about bipartisan pushback and cracks in GOP unity,” Zev Shalev disclosed in his Narativ podcast.

But the House enacted rules blocking these resolutions from ever reaching the floor.

Trump’s tariffs remain fully in force. The votes were theater — carefully staged resistance that changes nothing.

While senators performed their constitutional duties for the cameras, analysts assessed Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping and declared unanimously that China won decisively.

Beijing secured immediate tariff rollbacks and suspended rare earth export controls without making a single structural concession on intellectual property, forced technology transfer, or Taiwan.

Trump received publicity around soybean purchases and fentanyl cooperation — talking points for farm country ahead of 2026. Both leaders declared victory, but only one side extracted concrete gains.

The juxtaposition reveals how power actually works now: Congress stages symbolic votes while Trump hands authoritarian allies what they want. American consumers are paying 47% more for Chinese goods nearly a year into these tariffs, and the Supreme Court hasn’t even ruled on whether Trump had legal authority to impose them.

If the Court strikes down the tariffs, the trillions collected become an accounting nightmare — how do you rebate tariffs incorrectly charged to every American?