U.S. President Donald Trump warned on the 9th (local time) that if the Supreme Court rules his tariff policy illegal, it would become "the greatest national security threat in U.S. history." With the possibility raised that the Supreme Court could overturn the legal basis for the Trump administration's "hardline trade policy," he moved to wage a public campaign himself.
Trump said in a post on his social media Truth Social that "if the Supreme Court hands down an adverse ruling on tariff policy, the United States will be financially defenseless," adding, "We will be unable to do what other countries are already doing."
Trump specifically noted that the European Union (EU) is considering new tariffs against China and argued, "Europe is doing what we are doing." He added, "Thanks to easy and swift tariff imposition, America's security has been greatly strengthened, and we have become the financially strongest nation in the world," saying, "Only dark and evil forces want that to end."
The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the legality of tariffs that Trump imposed on various countries during his term based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Enacted in 1977, the IEEPA delegates "import restriction" authority to the president, but lower courts ruled Trump's executive orders illegal, saying they "do not extend to the imposition of tariffs."
The Supreme Court held oral arguments last month, and with some conservative justices expressing concern over broad exercises of tariff power by the executive branch, there is a possibility it will uphold the lower court's decision. A ruling could come as early as within the year.