OUR VIEW: Find your courage, Republicans. Trump is president, not the 'Wizard of Oz'

Wisconsin’s best interests, not Trump’s worst instincts, should guide their actions and votes in Washington.

We’re not handing out any merit badges just yet for valor to Wisconsin’s GOP congressional delegation. But a few members have countered, if ever so carefully, some of Trump’s most egregious behavior during his first few weeks back in the White House.

That’s a hopeful sign, especially if their sense of duty spreads to more of their conservative colleagues. Republicans are supposed to be “Americans first,” after all, not MAGA disciples. And it is Congress, not the president’s favorite unelected billionaire, Elon Musk, that gets to decide how public money is spent, according to our Constitution.

Trump last week wildly threatened a trade war with America’s closest partners and neighbors. He scheduled a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, suggesting our allies in Europe would be next.

“The tariffs are going to make us very rich and very strong,” Trump claimed in fairytale-like language.

But when his self-imposed deadline approached Tuesday for imposing the charges, he backed down, pausing his tariffs on Mexico and Canada for at least 30 days. The man behind the curtain wasn’t so mighty after all. He claimed to achieve concessions, but they didn’t amount to much.

Punting on tariffs was a relief for Wisconsin consumers, farmers and manufacturers. Steep government tariffs on products crossing America’s northern and southern borders would have raised expenses for Badger State families and businesses.

Lo and behold, even one of Trump’s biggest cheerleaders from Wisconsin said so.

“In general, tariffs are a tax,” U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, told the conservative Newsmax last week. “And when you tax something, you get less of it.”

“I hope we don’t end up with long-term 25% tariffs against each country,” Johnson said. “I don’t believe that is productive. It is going to hurt American companies, American exporters. It will hurt American consumers long term.”

He’s right. And we’ve rarely said that about Wisconsin’s senior senator.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, similarly warned in a State Journal interview that Trump’s tariffs would increase the cost of living for his constituents.

Targeted tariffs might make sense if, for example, authoritarian China is flooding the U.S. market with cheap products propped up by government subsidies. Trump actually followed through on a 10% tariff on Chinese imports last week. A lot of Wisconsin manufacturers support that.

But Wisconsin sells $2 billion worth of crops, cheese and meat to Mexico and Canada. That helps our dairy farmers and rural communities prosper. Wisconsin also gets lumber and oil from Canada, which helps ease housing and gas prices.

Trump’s steep tariffs against our best and biggest trading partners would hike inflation.

Democrats are objecting, as they should. But it’s Republicans, with narrow majorities in Congress, who are best positioned to stop their president’s misadventures.

Wisconsin’s GOP needs to speak up — much more so than during Trump’s first term.

A few did when Trump issued pardons for even the violent perpetrators of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, was outside the Capitol that day. Like Johnson and Grothman, Van Orden has supported virtually all of Trump’s agenda. But Van Orden objected to the lawless pardons, as did Johnson (if only meekly) and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua.

“I do not support pardoning people who assaulted our police officers,” Van Orden told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Why would anyone? Yet a lot of Republicans stayed shamefully silent.

Some of those receiving pardons are from Wisconsin, including Riley Kasper of Pulaski. He pleaded guilty to assault. According to the FBI, he wrote on social media: “I pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home.”

We want every American president to succeed, even if we didn’t endorse them. But one person doesn’t control our democracy.

In “The Wizard of Oz,” when the Cowardly Lion faked being brave, Dorothy replied: “My goodness, what a fuss you’re making!”

My goodness, Republicans, what a fuss your president is making with his talk of tariffs, offensive pardons and proposal to “own” the Gaza Strip. And what a mess he’s making of child care centers in Wisconsin after his administration froze funding that Congress approved for children.

Republicans in Congress must rein him in for the good of their constituents and nation. Republicans must claw back the power the Constitution vests in Congress.

Checks and balances, not subserviency, allow our democracy to thrive.