US lawmakers seek to block Trump’s threatened tariffs on European allies

Democrats lead legislative charge to block imposition of tariffs as some Republicans break from Trump

Lawmakers from both parties promised legislative action to block Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs against European allies on Monday, though Republicans willing to publicly break with the president on Greenland remain in short supply.

Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat, announced plans to introduce a resolution aimed at terminating tariffs Trump threatened to impose over the weekend on eight European countries, including Nato allies Denmark, the UK, Germany and France. The president first mused about the tariffs on Friday at a White House roundtable, then punctuated his threat with new details that included a 10% levy beginning in February, escalating to 25% by June unless a deal is reached for what he called the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland”.