Trump attacks Supreme Court over tariff ruling, claims verdict gave him 'more power'
US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on the Supreme Court of the United States on Monday, denouncing last week’s ruling that struck down key elements of his administration’s global tariffs as “ridiculous” and “dumb.”
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump claimed the majority verdict, which held that he exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs, had paradoxically expanded his powers rather than curtailed them.
“The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling,” Trump wrote.
Trump argued that while the court blocked his ability to impose broad tariffs, it left intact presidential powers under emergency trade laws, specifically the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, allowing him to require foreign countries to obtain licences to trade with the United States.
“For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things to foreign countries… but incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, can’t charge them a License fee,” Trump complained. “ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES — why can’t the United States do so?”
The President did not explain how the ruling legally granted him broader authority, instead suggesting darkly that he alone understood the court’s reasoning.
Trump labelled the court “incompetent,” with the exception of what he called “the Great Three” — Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito — who dissented from the majority opinion.
He also claimed the ruling provided “legal certainty” for other, narrower tariffs that remain in force and could now be used “in a much more powerful and obnoxious way.”
Trump’s criticism of the court soon veered into another long-running grievance: birthright citizenship.
He warned the justices could rule in favour of China and other countries by misinterpreting the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which grants citizenship to anyone born on US soil.
Repeating his controversial claim that the amendment was written only to protect the “babies of slaves,” Trump accused foreign nations of exploiting the clause by sending pregnant women to the US to secure citizenship for their children.
Tariffs raised to 15%
Despite the court limiting his emergency tariff authority to a 10 percent ceiling, Trump announced on Saturday that he would raise tariffs to 15 percent, insisting the move was “fully allowed, and legally tested.”
“During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs,” he wrote, pledging to continue what he called his “extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again.”
The Supreme Court has not responded to Trump’s remarks.
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