GOP Senator’s Home Renovation Analogy Of Trump Tariffs Pain Wobbles On CNN

Freshman Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs would bring “short-term pain” to Americans — including his own constituents in Montana.

In an interview Monday on CNN’s “The Source,” anchor Kaitlan Collins asked Sheehy whether Trump’s tariff plans would hurt people in his state.

“There’s absolutely gonna be short-term pain,” Sheehy replied. “The president’s been clear about that. Everyone has.”

The former Navy SEAL and millionaire businessman likened the economic disruption to a home renovation.

“I mean, if you’re gonna remodel your house to make it better in the end, it’s gonna be really annoying in the short term when your house is getting remodeled and there’s drywall dust everywhere and there’s workers in your living room,” he said. “The reality is that remodel has gotta happen in order to make things stronger and more stable on the back end.”

Sheehy echoed Trump’s frequent claims that foreign countries have been “taking advantage of the strong American economy” for years and predicted that investment would return to the U.S.

But Collins noted that uncertainty has already caused many companies to hold off on making decisions.

She then highlighted what could be a major crack in his analogy.

“You liken this to a remodel. Sometimes those take longer than you plan for,” she pointed out. “I mean, if you’re an American and you’re waiting to see, what does ‘short-term pain’ mean? I mean, how long do you expect that to last?”

“I mean, we don’t know,” Sheehy admitted.

Watch the exchange here: