Sen. John Barrasso made the Sunday-shows circuit again this weekend, landing on Fox News to deliver a three-part message:
- Democrats are politicizing the military.
- Trump’s new “tariff rebate” checks aren’t impressing Senate Republicans.
- Another government shutdown in ’26 is the last thing the country needs.
In classic Barrasso fashion, he packaged it all under a phrase he’s clearly workshop-testing: “The politics of pain.”
And honestly? Whether you’re a Fox News devotee, an MSNBC loyalist, or someone who only turns on cable news at the airport, the Wyoming implications are real.
1. Democrats’ Military Message Sparks Blowback
Barrasso opened with the viral video from six Democratic lawmakers, most of them veterans, telling U.S. service members to “refuse illegal orders.” On the surface, that’s simply restating military law. But dropping it into a hyper-partisan election environment turned it into a political hand grenade.
The fallout was immediate:
- President Trump called the video “seditious behavior.”
- Democratic signers insisted they were defending constitutional norms.
- Legal experts lined up to explain that refusing lawful orders, even if they later get debated on cable news, can get service members court-martialed.
Barrasso’s take was blunt: This is exactly the kind of political circus that erodes trust between civilian leaders and the troops. And for a state like Wyoming, with one of the highest per-capita veteran populations, this isn’t noise; it’s personal.
His accusation: Democrats aren’t offering solutions, they’re offering fear. “Politics of pain.”
2. Trump’s $2K Tariff Checks: Populism Meets GOP Skepticism
The interview then shifted to President Trump’s newly floated $2,000 “tariff rebate” checks, payments he wants to fund with new import tariffs.
The broad strokes:
- Checks could go to Americans making roughly under $100,000.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has floated add-ons like eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.
- The price tag to send every eligible adult $2,000 is in the $300–450 billion range, while new tariff revenue is estimated to land far below that.
Cue the GOP side-eye.
Barrasso and other Senate Republicans are clearly wary of turning tariff revenue into campaign-season stimulus checks. They’d prefer to use that money to chip away at the $38 trillion national debt, not launch what critics already call “Tariff Stimmies.”
Barrasso didn’t attack Trump directly, but he didn’t sign onto the idea either. His broader message was that Democrats helped create today’s inflation, and now both parties need to quit making big promises and start delivering long-term affordability.
3. Shutdown Roulette: Not Again
Finally, Barrasso warned about another looming government shutdown. The last one dragged on for 43 days and caused everything from delayed paychecks to stalled national park operations.
For Wyoming? A shutdown isn’t theoretical.
- Yellowstone and Grand Teton operations get disrupted.
- Federal workers and contractors take the hit.
- Rural communities feel the ripple effects first.
Barrasso’s line: Americans can’t afford another round of Washington brinkmanship, and they definitely can’t afford leaders who use those impacts as political weapons.
Why This Interview Matters To Wyoming
Barrasso’s Fox News appearance wasn’t just D.C. chatter. It touched three fault lines that impact Wyoming directly:
- Civil-military trust: Something our veteran-heavy state takes seriously.
- Tariffs, inflation, and cost-of-living pressure: Which hit rural communities harder than coastal think tanks seem to grasp.
- Shutdown drama: Which affects federal lands, tourism, and everyday services here more than in almost any other state.
Love him or not, Barrasso is staking out a position as the Republican trying to keep the circus from burning down the tent. And given the national mood, that’s a message people from Jackson to Gillette will probably be hearing a lot more of.
