The Supreme Court dealt a significant blow to President Trump’s trade agenda on Friday, ruling 6-3 that his sweeping global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, joined by the court’s three liberal justices and — in a stunning move — two Trump-appointed conservatives, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. The ruling immediately invalidated the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs Trump announced on Liberation Day, along with additional levies tied to the fentanyl crisis, potentially exposing the U.S. Treasury to hundreds of billions in refund claims from businesses that paid the now-illegal duties.
@seanhannity Trump: Foreign Countries "Dancing in the Streets" Over Tariffs Won't Be Celebrating Much Longer
Trump wasted no time firing back. Within hours of the ruling, the president appeared at a White House press briefing and unloaded on the court, calling the decision “deeply disappointing” and saying he was “ashamed” of the justices who sided against America’s trade agenda. But Trump didn’t stop at words. He announced he would sign an executive order the same day imposing a brand-new 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a completely different legal authority — to be stacked on top of all existing tariffs already in place. “We have alternatives,” Trump told reporters. “Great alternatives.”
The new tariff carries important limitations the administration will need to navigate. Section 122 allows the president to impose duties of up to 15% for a maximum of 150 days before congressional approval is required to extend them. Trump also announced the administration is launching multiple Section 301 unfair trade practice investigations that could eventually produce additional, longer-lasting tariffs. Critically, the Supreme Court’s ruling left untouched all national security tariffs imposed under Sections 232 and 301 — meaning steel, aluminum, automobile, and semiconductor tariffs remain fully in effect.
The ruling marks the most significant legal defeat of Trump’s second term, but the president made clear he views it as a speed bump, not a stop sign. Foreign governments and globalist interests who celebrated the decision may want to temper their enthusiasm. The administration has multiple legal pathways still available, Trump has the legislative option of pushing Congress to codify his tariff agenda through reconciliation, and the president himself promised the alternative approach would ultimately bring more money into the country than before. As Trump put it plainly: “Other alternatives will now be used — and they are even stronger.”
Thank you for visiting