Trump Slams Supreme Court After Tariff Ruling
President Donald J. Trump is not backing down.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling that curtailed his use of emergency authority to impose sweeping tariffs, the President took to Truth Social repeatedly on Monday, making clear that his America First trade doctrine remains very much alive.
Since Friday’s decision, Trump has posted at least six times criticizing the ruling and defending his constitutional authority to protect American industry from foreign exploitation.
In one post, the President argued that the Court “accidentally and unknowingly” handed him “far more powers and strength” than before the “internationally divisive” ruling — suggesting that while one legal pathway may have narrowed, others remain wide open.
“I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades, but incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, can’t charge them a License fee — BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do so?” Trump wrote.
The ruling marked a significant moment in the ongoing legal tug-of-war between the executive branch and the judiciary over the scope of trade authority. While the conservative-leaning Court has often upheld key executive powers, this rare rebuke struck at the core of Trump’s tariff strategy under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Unfazed, the President quickly announced a revised global tariff structure — first at 10 percent and later raising it to 15 percent — signaling that he intends to continue leveraging trade tools to rebalance what he has long described as unfair global arrangements.
Trump did not mince words about the justices who formed the majority, calling them “unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”
In another warning shot aimed abroad, the President signaled that foreign governments should not misinterpret the Court’s decision as weakness.
“Any Country that wants to ‘play games’ with the ridiculous supreme court decision, especially those that have ‘Ripped Off’ the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to,” he wrote. “BUYER BEWARE!!!”
The President also emphasized that the Court has upheld other tariff authorities during his second term, arguing that those tools can now be deployed with even greater clarity and force.
“It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago! They were also just reaffirmed by the ridiculous and poorly crafted supreme court decision!” Trump stated, asserting that congressional authorization for tariffs has long existed in multiple statutory forms.
On Sunday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reinforced that message during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.”
“The legal tool to implement it, that might change, but the policy hasn’t changed,” Greer told co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “And so, we’re aiming for continuity. There’s a 15% tariff now. It’s roughly equivalent to the types of tariffs that we had in place under IEEPA.”
While acknowledging that the President’s flexibility has narrowed, Greer stressed that the administration still retains substantial statutory authority.
“We found ways to really reconstruct what we’re doing. Now, it doesn’t have the same flexibility that the president had under the previous authority that he was using, but he gives us very durable tools,” Greer said. “It allows us to do investigations, implement tariffs where needed, and provides a lot of leverage and a lot of protection for American industry.”
The administration is now implementing a 15 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Although that authority limits the tariff to 150 days at a maximum rate of 15 percent without further congressional action, the White House has signaled that additional pathways remain available.
Sections 301 and 232 of existing trade law allow investigations into unfair trade practices and national security threats — authorities that were used extensively during Trump’s first term and are expected to play a central role again.
Greer underscored the strategic dimension of trade policy, pointing to lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think we all found out during the pandemic that even things like textiles, people thought, this isn’t a big deal, but we have to have personal protective equipment for our hospitals, we have to have uniforms for our military,” Greer said.
While he stopped short of previewing specific actions, Greer added that seemingly routine imports can quickly become matters of national security.
“There are things that people might think are ho-hum commodities [that] actually become quite strategic when it comes to national security.”
For President Trump, the message is unmistakable: America’s trade policy will not be dictated by foreign governments — or by narrow judicial interpretations. Even amid legal headwinds, the administration appears determined to use every constitutional and statutory tool available to defend American workers, safeguard supply chains, and restore leverage in global markets.
The legal battlefield may have shifted, but the America First trade agenda is far from finished.