Even Marjorie Taylor Greene Thinks Trump's Immigration and Trade Policies Go Too Far

President Donald Trump’s trade and immigration agenda is deeply unpopular with the general public. Now, even some of Trump’s most loyal allies are voicing their frustrations with the president’s policies.

During a recent appearance on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.) criticized the Trump administration’s hardline stance on immigration, warning that its crackdowns create more chaos than security. Although she said that she voted for stronger borders and stricter immigration enforcement, Greene warned that much of the American labor force relies on immigrants, many of whom didn’t enter the country legally, and that mass deportations could cripple key industries. “We have to do something about labor, and that needs to be a smarter plan than just rounding up every single person and deporting them,” she said.  

Greene told Dillon that she still appreciates Trump’s broader aims, saying, “He’s trying to end wars. He’s also trying to make it fair again for American trade.” But she added that the reality on the ground tells a different story. In her conversations with business owners, Greene said many have grown frustrated with tariffs and other protectionist measures that, as she put it, “end up helping donors more than constituents.” While they support Trump’s long-term goal of fairer trade, Greene noted, many are struggling to get supplies and stay competitive amid the rising costs his policies have created.

Greene’s frustrations with these Trump policies mirror broader public sentiment. While economic protectionism remains popular with parts of his base, most Americans say tariffs hurt the economy. A Pew Research survey from August found that 61 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration’s tariff policies, with just 38 percent expressing support. These tariffs have already raised prices, and analysts at Yale’s Budget Lab estimate that they could increase consumer prices in the short term by roughly 1.8 percent—or about $2,400 per household.

Meanwhile, while most Americans are in favor of deporting illegal immigrants, 52 percent disapprove of Trump’s handling of the issue, according to a recent poll from The New York Times and Siena University. The same survey found that 53 percent of people “think the process of deporting people has not been fair,” per the Times.

Indeed, much of the government’s mass deportation agenda has been marred by civil rights abuses and due process violations. Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the agency’s refusal to share records of its planned expansion of detention centers in Virginia. Detainees in these ICE centers have allegedly been denied access to counsel, food, and basic medical care. Last week, the ACLU also filed suit against Louisiana’s newest state-run immigration detention center, “Louisiana Lockup.” The suit alleges that immigrants in the facility are being held indefinitely and are being punished for the same crime twice, in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause. 

Greene’s comments mark a rare instance of a close Trump ally questioning the costs of the administration’s agenda. It’s a sentiment that could use more company in Congress, though few Republicans seem willing to provide it; most have gladly expanded Trump’s tariff powers while defending the warrantless raids, prolonged detentions, and systemic rights violations that have come with his mass deportation campaign.

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