Sen. Lindsey Graham isn’t quite ready to toast a potential 20% border tax on Mexico.
The South Carolina Republican warned of rising prices on goods from Mexico, in particular citing “Corona, tequila or margaritas” if the Trump administration were to slap a 20% tax on imports from Mexico to help pay for a border wall along the US-Mexico border.
“Border security yes, tariffs no. Mexico is 3rd largest trading partner. Any tariff we can levy they can levy. Huge barrier to econ growth,” the South Carolina Republican senator said in a pair of tweets. “Simply put, any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad.”
President Donald Trump himself, of course, is known to end tweets by deciding something to be “sad.” Graham — who, as a GOP presidential primary candidate, one joked “we’re going to drink more” if he were elected — is a frequent critic of the President.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced the proposal earlier Thursday, saying the President was backing the plan and had just discussed it with congressional Republicans in a private meeting. Hours later, amid an uproar from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Spicer said that he was simply putting forward one idea Trump is considering to show how the administration could fund the multibillion-dollar construction of a wall on the US’s southern border.