Resurfaced Clips Show Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and Other Republicans Slamming Tariffs: 'China's Not Going to Pay the Tariff'

A montage of resurfaced clips shows Republican leaders, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Lindsey Graham and others criticizing tariffs and warning against trade wars.

Throughout the montage, Republican politicians who are now throwing their full support behind President Donald Trump painted a dark picture of what life would look like in the U.S. and around the globe if high tariffs were imposed.

The first clip features then-Senator Rubio condemning tariffs as "a tax on Americans" during his 2015 presidential campaign. He later suspended his campaign after losing the Florida Republican primary to Donald Trump.

"A tariff isn't paid by the exporter. China's not going to pay the tariff. The buyer is going to pay the tariff," he continued.

Rubio's previous comments contradict statements he made at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday where he stated the president is resetting the global order of trade with his reciprocal tariffs. He also criticized China for "distorting markets."

Elsewhere in the clip, top Republican Chuck Grassley decried the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, which he said shut down world trade and made the Great Depression worse, "so let's not repeat that mistake." President Trump's tariffs, however, are higher, CNBC reported.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said tariffs "would kill jobs all across this country" while Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson stated generalized tariffs would harm allies and American consumers. He added that no one wins a trade war because "there's so much collateral damage, and it's a very risky and dangerous strategy."

Lindsey Graham was also seen in a clip, claiming that "China wins when we fight with Europe. China wins when the American consumers has higher prices because of tariffs that don't affect Chinese behavior." China imposed a retaliatory 34% tariff in response to the one announced by Trump earlier this week.

Kansas Senator Jerry Moran discussed the significance of strong trade relationships, especially with Canada and Mexico, which Trump has severed since taking office.

"We must protect those relationships and be careful as we consider changes in our approach to trade to be certain that Americans continue to benefit from the economic opportunities that have been created by a strong trade policy," Moran continued.