Bernie Sanders Drops the Hammer: Calls Out Trump’s ‘Blatant Lie’ Behind Tariff Scandal — Exposes Stunning Abuse of Emergency Powers

In a blistering exchange that lit up Capitol Hill, Senator Bernie Sanders took direct aim at what he called “one of the most absurd lies” of the Trump administration’s trade policy — a bold accusation that has sent shockwaves through Washington’s political establishment.

During a heated Senate hearing, Sanders — never one to mince words — confronted U.S. Trade Representative Greer over former President Donald Trump’s justification for slapping a 25% emergency tariff on Canada.

The alleged reason?

An imaginary flood of fentanyl and “millions” of undocumented immigrants supposedly pouring across the U.S.-Canada border.

Sanders, a longtime critic of unfettered free trade agreements like NAFTA and China’s permanent normal trade relations, made it crystal clear: this wasn’t about trade policy differences — it was about truth versus fiction.

“Unfortunately, that’s a lie,” Sanders declared, unflinchingly.

“Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized just 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border — a mere 0.2% of total U.S. fentanyl seizures.”

Let that sink in. Trump invoked emergency powers — bypassing Congress entirely — over 43 pounds of drugs.

Meanwhile, Sanders reminded the room that drug trafficking is a global crisis — “If 0.2% constitutes an emergency, then illegal drugs are coming in from every country in the world,” he argued. “And that gives the president of the United States incredible power to determine tariffs on a whim.”

But the senator wasn’t done.

Trump’s claim of “millions and millions” of undocumented immigrants crossing from Canada? Sanders obliterated that narrative too, citing official data: just 24,000 crossings last year. Not millions. Not even hundreds of thousands. Twenty-four thousand.

“Why does the president have to lie all of the time in order to make his point?” Sanders demanded, cutting through the noise with his trademark bluntness.

Trade Representative Greer, clearly rattled, attempted to defend the administration’s position — insisting that drugs and migration were a “real emergency.” But the numbers don’t lie — and neither did Sanders.

In a powerful closing argument, Sanders turned to the broader issue of presidential overreach, spotlighting rare bipartisan legislation led by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley that seeks to claw back Congress’s constitutional authority over trade policy.

“For too long, Congress has delegated its clear authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the executive branch,” Grassley stated — a damning admission from within Trump’s own party.

Sanders didn’t miss the opportunity to drive the point home:

“In the last two weeks, all we’ve seen are reports in the newspaper. Congress has not had one ounce of authority in determining tariff policy,” he said. “Do you think Congress should be completely left out of the process? Or does the president have emergency power to do anything he wants?”

This moment wasn’t just about tariffs. It was about power — who has it, who abuses it, and who dares to tell the truth about it.

As Sanders left the hearing room, one thing was unmistakably clear:

The Vermont senator just delivered a searing indictment of not only Trump’s trade policy but the disturbing normalization of presidential power grabs under false pretenses.

And in Washington — where spin is currency — Bernie Sanders just proved the value of telling the hard, uncomfortable truth.