Trump Unveils ‘Plan B’ After Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs

In a decision that immediately ignited debate across Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6–3 on Friday to strike down President Donald J. Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as the legal basis for his sweeping global tariffs.

But if critics believed the ruling would derail the administration’s trade agenda, they were quickly proven wrong.

Within hours of the decision, President Trump signed a new executive order from the Oval Office reimposing a 10 percent global tariff under separate statutory authority — underscoring his administration’s resolve to defend American industry and confront decades of lopsided trade practices.

According to Fox News, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) addressed the ruling during an appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend, arguing that the political consequences of the Court’s decision may be minimal — particularly given the timing and the revenue already secured.

Kennedy pointed to an estimated $300 billion in tariff revenue collected under President Trump’s trade authority, funds that are already in federal coffers and tied to trade agreements negotiated during the tariff period.

“My Democratic peeps better be careful what they ask for because if he gives back $300 billion worth of tariff money to the business community in America, this economy’s [going to] roar, man, and the midterms are only a few months off,” Kennedy said. “Stevie Wonder could see this decision coming,”

Tariff revenue reportedly reached $30.4 billion in January alone — a staggering 275 percent increase compared to January 2025 — highlighting the scale of the administration’s trade enforcement push.

Kennedy emphasized that the Supreme Court’s ruling addressed only the specific statutory mechanism used to impose the tariffs, not the broader concept of tariff authority itself.

“The president didn’t just sit around admiring that trade authority, that tariff authority, sucking on his teeth,” Kennedy said.

“He used it, and he used it to negotiate trade agreements,” he added.

President Trump originally declared the nation’s chronic trade deficit a national emergency in 2025, invoking IEEPA authority to counter what he described as systemic economic exploitation by foreign nations. During that period, the administration negotiated multiple trade agreements — all of which remain intact despite the Court’s ruling.

On Friday afternoon, President Trump took to Truth Social to announce the new tariff action.

“It is my Great Honor to have just signed, from the Oval Office, a Global 10% Tariff on all Countries, which will be effective almost immediately,” Trump wrote.

The White House signaled that tariff-generated revenue could help fund domestic priorities while continuing efforts to reduce the national debt — aligning with the administration’s broader America First economic strategy.

While the Supreme Court’s ruling closed off the IEEPA pathway, the new 10 percent global tariff remains in effect under alternative legal authority. Trade agreements negotiated prior to the decision remain unchanged.

Democrats applauded the Court’s move, arguing that tariffs increase consumer costs. However, the administration’s rapid pivot demonstrated that President Trump’s trade agenda remains very much alive.

In the days following the ruling, President Trump sharply criticized the decision, posting multiple messages on Truth Social. In one message, he argued the Court “accidentally and unknowingly” granted him “far more powers and strength” than before the “internationally divisive” ruling. He also suggested he anticipates further legal challenges, including upcoming arguments over his executive order addressing birthright citizenship.

“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 said in his post.

Following the initial 10 percent tariff announcement, the president later indicated a 15 percent global tariff framework.

The rare rebuke from the conservative-leaning high court drew a swift and forceful response from President Trump, who labeled the majority justices “unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution.”

In another post, the president delivered a blunt warning to foreign governments seeking to exploit the ruling.

“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 said. “BUYER BEWARE!!!”

For supporters of the administration’s America First doctrine, the message was unmistakable: regardless of legal hurdles, President Trump intends to use every constitutional tool available to defend American workers, restore trade fairness, and reassert U.S. economic sovereignty.