President Donald Trump’s decision to slap steep tariffs on Canada and Mexico is revealing something of a split screen between the top two Republicans on Capitol Hill.

In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune — who hails from an agricultural state that was hit hard by the trade wars of the first Trump administration — told reporters he hoped the new tariffs will only be in place as long as it takes to limit the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

"I'm hoping they're a means to an end and not an end itself. I think they're hopefully temporary — designed to achieve a specific result,” said the South Dakota Republican, adding that he believes there is a place for tariffs when used “selectively” — like trying to get Mexico and Canada to work with the United States on ending deadly drug trafficking.

Across the Capitol, however, Speaker Mike Johnson said at a House GOP leadership press conference that separate reciprocal tariffs Trump has planned could have the effect of “giving countries a dose of their own medicine.”

“The America First agenda is to reset those relationships” with other countries, Johnson said, noting he did not believe Trump’s intent was to start a “trade war” or an “adversarial thing.”

“This is to continue good relationships and trade policies. I think this initiative will achieve that desired result,” Johnson continued. “As the president said, just have a little patience with this. Let it play out, see how it develops, and I think at the end of the day America is going to be better off.”

GOP lawmakers were in the dark in advance of Trump’s tariff rollout, including his decision to go ahead with tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, and a separate promise to add import tariffs in April on foreign farm goods. Republicans in agriculture-heavy districts worry that the move will just prompt new retaliatory tariffs for U.S. farmers, who are deeply reliant on selling exports abroad. In another blow to Republicans in farm states, China quickly announced overnight that it would respond to Trump’s tariffs with its own crippling new levies on U.S. farm goods, including to target major exports like soybeans, dairy, chicken, wheat, corn, pork and beef.

In the coming days and weeks, Thune and Johnson are going to have to weigh their public opinions about Trump’s tariffs against what their fellow Republicans are saying both in Washington back home. Both have MAGA-aligned members of their conferences who are supportive of Trump’s trade agenda, but also members from agriculture and border states who are warning that the tariffs could spark backlash among constituents.

Trump’s announcement Tuesday morning that he would move forward as planned with imposing new 25 percent tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian goods immediately sparked concerns among Agriculture-state Republicans.

Thune acknowledged it could be difficult to separate his own perspective from that of his home state allegiances.

"As you know, I'm, you know, coming from an agricultural state, I see the tariff issue through a different lens,” he told reporters. “Nothing happens in a vacuum.”

The Senate’s top appropriator, and a notable critic of the scope and speed of cuts to the federal government rolled out by the Trump administration, has been texting with Elon Musk.

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said in a brief interview Tuesday she has “exchanged text messages” with the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

It’s a notable development 10 days before the deadline to avoid a government shutdown and months after the Maine Republican’s first and only meeting with the tech billionaire, where she said she was “very impressed with his energy and dedication.”

Collins added that despite the text exchanges, “I don’t have a meeting scheduled” with Musk. She also didn’t elaborate on what the two have been texting about, but there is plenty for the pair to discuss.

Collins has been fiercely protective of Congress’ constitutional power of the purse and has warned against the administration’s attempts to withhold federal dollars already appropriated by Congress. Last month, Collins was one of the first Republicans to raise concerns about Musk’s role in the new Trump White House.

“There’s no doubt that the president appears to have empowered Elon Musk far beyond what I think is appropriate,” she told reporters earlier this year. “I think a lot of it is going to end up in court.”

Musk is scheduled to meet with House Republicans on Wednesday evening after Collins is set to be the guest speaker at the conservative Republican Study Committee’s weekly meeting. But more senators are looking to connect with Musk, as well.

Republicans largely back Musk’s efforts even as firings and funding cuts are surprising them and constituents back in their states almost daily.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the chair of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, said earlier Tuesday that he is still working to schedule a meeting between Musk and lawmakers on his side of the aisle.

Last week, the Senate’s DOGE Caucus met with Musk and pushed........

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