U.S. President Donald Trump and the ruling Republican Party are embroiled in an internal rift over the administration's decision to exempt ground beef products from over-quota tariffs in a bid to appease public anger over high inflation.

On August 21, President Trump announced via his social media platform Truth Social that he would allow the duty-free import of up to 300,000 tons of ground beef products beyond the quota for the next 90 days.

The move aims to lower beef prices by temporarily lowering tariff barriers to expand beef imports.

Beef prices, which have been one of the major drivers of food inflation in the U.S., have risen by about 20 percent since President Trump took office for a second term early last year.

U.S. political media outlets such as The Hill and Axios reported on the 25th, local time, that the measure has triggered widespread criticism from Senate Republican leaders and numerous senators, escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the ruling GOP.

Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso said in a post on X, "Americans want U.S. beef on their dinner tables, not foreign beef."

Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the Senate Republican leadership, also posted on X, "I advised previously that inappropriate measures like this should not be taken, and I urge President Trump to reconsider."

Republican Senator Thom Tillis pointed out that consumers suffer every time the government interferes with the minute details of the economy.

Even Republican senators who are close allies of President Trump are voicing criticism.

Senator Steve Daines noted that importing foreign beef will only hurt American ranchers and lead to even higher prices in the long run, while Senator Roger Marshall stated that he does not believe waiving beef tariffs is the best course of action the president could take.

While President Trump's measure is aimed at calming public sentiment ahead of the midterm elections in November, the ruling GOP fears it will deal a blow to farmers, who form the core support base of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Senator Jerry Moran, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, urged President Trump to rescind the measure and listen to the voices of ranchers, stating that relatively high beef prices have been a rare positive factor for the struggling agricultural sector.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)