WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday vowed to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling striking down his sweeping tariffs, announcing plans to impose a new 10% levy on imports through alternative legal authorities. The defiant response, delivered at a hastily arranged White House appearance, underscored the centrality of tariffs to Trump’s economic agenda and signaled a willingness to challenge the limits of executive power.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that Trump exceeded his authority when imposing tariffs on goods from across the globe using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law intended for national emergencies. The ruling, a major setback for the administration, was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, who was joined by three liberal justices and two conservative justices, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, according to NBC News.
Trump reacted with fury, denouncing the justices who ruled against him as “fools” and “very unpatriotic.” He specifically criticized Justices Gorsuch and Barrett, whom he appointed to the court, accusing them of disloyalty to the Constitution. “I am ashamed of certain members of the court,” Trump told reporters. “Absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country.”
The president insisted the ruling was a “technical” setback and pledged to continue protecting American industries through trade measures. He announced his intention to invoke the 1974 Trade Act and the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to justify the new 10% tariff, claiming these laws would provide a legal basis for similar economic protections. “Now the court has given me the unquestioned right to ban all sort of things from coming into our country, to destroy foreign countries,” Trump said, as reported by USA Today.
The ruling invalidates many, but not all, of Trump’s tariffs, according to The Associated Press. The decision comes at a sensitive moment for the administration, as Republicans have urged Trump to focus on economic messaging ahead of the November elections. Public polling consistently shows a majority of Americans disapprove of the tariff increases, with six in ten surveyed by Pew Research this month expressing opposition.
Democrats seized on the ruling as a vindication of their long-held concerns about the economic impact of Trump’s trade policies. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for a mechanism to allow Americans to recoup funds lost due to the tariffs, stating, “No Supreme Court decision can undo the massive damage that Trump’s chaotic tariffs have caused,” in a post on X.
The court’s decision likewise drew criticism of Trump’s governing style, which has frequently tested the boundaries of executive authority. Justice Gorsuch, in a concurring opinion, emphasized the importance of the legislative process, writing that Congress should be involved in major policy decisions, particularly those involving taxes and tariffs. “In all, the legislative process helps ensure each of us has a stake in the laws that govern us and in the Nation’s future,” Gorsuch wrote, as detailed in The New York Times.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously asserted in December that the administration could replicate the tariff structure through alternative legal methods, laying the groundwork for Trump’s announced plans. The administration’s next steps remain unclear, and it is uncertain whether the new tariffs will face further legal challenges.
