Ted Cruz Sounds Alarm: Trump’s Tariffs Could Lead to Midterm “Bloodbath”

In a striking warning, Texas Senator Ted Cruz has alerted his Republican colleagues to the potential for a devastating political outcome in the 2026 midterm elections if President Donald Trump's controversial tariffs lead to an economic downturn. Cruz explicitly cautioned that a “bloodbath” could await the GOP if the tariffs, whimsically dubbed “liberation day” tariffs, stay in effect for too long and provoke retaliatory measures from other nations.

On his Verdict podcast, Cruz expressed grave concerns that these tariffs could ignite a full-scale trade war, which he predicts would 'destroy jobs here at home' and inflict significant damage on the overall U.S. economy. He underlined that while the U.S. economy possesses more leverage now than it did a century ago, there are troubling voices within the Trump administration that seem intent on perpetuating these trade barriers indefinitely.

The discourse surrounding tariffs has resonated deeply within the Republican party, signifying an underlying fear of political repercussions. Recently, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced bipartisan legislation aiming to grant Congress greater authority over the implementation of tariffs on trade partners—a measure co-sponsored by Democrat Maria Cantwell. This legislative effort seeks to reaffirm Congress’s vital role in crafting trade policy, highlighting the growing anxiety among lawmakers about the economic fallout from Trump's tariff strategy.

In recent developments, several prominent Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell, have joined as co-sponsors of this bill, reflecting a rare moment of bipartisan concern regarding trade policy. This comes in the wake of a drastic $5.4 trillion loss in stock market capitalization over two tumultuous days, which critics argue could signal an impending electoral backlash against Trump-led policies—evident in recent election setbacks for candidates backed by Trump and his associates, including tech mogul Elon Musk.

Cruz underscored that a protracted tariff conflict and potential retaliation from countries worldwide could tip the U.S. into 'a recession—particularly a bad recession'—a scenario that would likely set the stage for Democratic dominance in Congress after the midterms. 'If we're in the middle of a recession and people are hurting badly, they punish the party in power,' Cruz warned, countering the White House’s optimistic view that tariffs will foster a 'booming economy'.

Furthermore, Cruz highlighted that if U.S. tariffs spur retaliatory actions globally, the fallout could be catastrophic. Still, he offered a conciliatory note to the Trump administration, suggesting that he hopes for success but insists that his vision diverges from that of the White House. 'My definition of success may be different than the White House’s,' he noted, advocating for substantially reduced tariffs both domestically and abroad as the pathway to future economic growth and prosperity for American workers.

As the implications of Trump's tariff policies become more pronounced, the Republican party faces critical decisions that could determine their political future and the economic landscape of the nation. As Cruz pointed out, the stakes have never been higher.