Fox News commentator: Republicans who don’t support Trump’s tariffs ‘should go jump off a cliff’

Fox News commentator Melissa Francis said Friday that Republicans in Congress opposed to President Trump’s new tariffs on Mexico without offering alternative suggestions “should go jump off a cliff.”

Francis appeared on “Outnumbered” after Trump announced new tariffs on Mexico in an attempt to pressure the country to halt the flow of migrants from Central America.

The commentator said that Trump is “incredibly frustrated” with Mexico’s response to the issue, adding that critics are attacking his actions “rather than taking their own.”{mosads}

Fellow “Outnumbered” guest Capri Cafaro said “using trade policy to move immigration policy” does not solve issues and Dagen McDowell acknowledged that many Republicans in Congress have made the same argument.

“Yes, those Republicans in Congress should go jump off a cliff,” Francis said. “Because they’re not offering something else. If you don’t like what he’s doing, get together and do something.”

Francis said GOP lawmakers need to rally together at the Capitol to create legislation addressing undocumented border crossings rather than criticize the president.

Trump announced a 5 percent tariff beginning June 10 on all Mexican imports “until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.”

The tariff will increase by 5 percent each month until it reaches 25 percent “unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory,” the president said in a follow-up statement from the White House.

Several members of Trump’s own party criticized the resident for the tariffs, warning that it may cause harm to diplomacy and the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) condemned the move late Thursday, calling the move a “misuse” of presidential tariff authority.

Grassley in a statement offered different approaches the administration could take, “such as imposing a fee on the billions of dollars of remittances that annually leave the United States to Mexico, which only encourage illegal immigration and don’t help the U.S. economy.”

“It could fund border security measures and would put economic pressure on Mexico without imposing a financial burden on U.S. consumers or harming American jobs,” the Iowa Republican continued. 

His fellow Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R), who has previously criticized the Trump administration’s tariffs on China, said that the new policies against Mexico are putting the livelihoods of farmers and producers at stake.

“While I support the need for comprehensive border security and a permanent fix to illegal immigration, this isn’t the right path forward,” Ernst said in a statement. “I’m asking the president to reconsider, and for Democrats to work with us to find a solution to the humanitarian crisis at our southern border.”