A plan to lower tariffs on imported beef and trade tensions with Canada have compounded some G.O.P. worries about a central issue in the midterms.
President Trump’s economic policies drew a fresh round of concern from some Republicans this weekend who criticized his trade policies, as others in the party sidestepped questions about his broader approach amid a midterm election that has put consumer prices front and center.
Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa, a Republican running in one of the most competitive Senate races, reiterated her opposition to Mr. Trump’s recent announcement that he would lower tariffs for up to 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef over the next 90 days, which he claimed would push down costs.
“We need to focus on affordability, but I think this isn’t the way to do that,” Ms. Hinson told Fox News in an interview broadcast on “Sunday Morning Futures,” arguing it would hurt domestic cattle ranchers. The import taxes, she said, are helping U.S. cattle ranchers restore the U.S. cattle supply, which remains at a 75-year low.
On Saturday, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents, implored Mr. Trump to reverse course on Canadian import taxes and “reach a fair agreement” after trade talks between the United States and Canada collapsed.
“If the Administration proceeds with these tariffs, they will increase costs for Maine families, as most businesses will have no choice but to pass on the tariffs to their customers through higher prices,” Ms. Collins wrote in a social media post, urging “both sides to return to the negotiating table.”
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican who is running for re-election, refused to grade Mr. Trump on the economy when asked about it on ABC News’s “This Week” on Friday. He said that “people are not talking to me about Trump” on the campaign trail.
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