President Donald Trump lashed out at countries with a threat of much higher tariffs if they try to take advantage after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs.
The president’s Truth Social threat was one in a posting rampage as he raged over the country’s highest court delivering a stinging blow to his chief economic policy with its ruling released Friday.
“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,” Trump wrote. “BUYER BEWARE!!!”
It was the president’s second post early Monday as his administration grapples with how to proceed with his tariffs being struck down in the 6 to 3 decision by the conservative court.
On Saturday, the president announced on social media he would instead impose global tariffs of 15 percent immediately, initially saying he would replace the struck-down tariffs with 10 percent global levies he had invoked less than 24 hours before.
He did so by invoking a provision of the law never before used by a president that allows for across-the-board tariffs for 150 days, but Congress would need to act to extend them.
The move puts vulnerable Republicans in a complicated position as Democrats push to put them on the record on the president’s top policy in a midterm year.
The Tax Foundation estimated the president’s tariff amounted to a $1,000 tax on U.S. households last year. The new tariffs would amount to a $700 tax on households in 2026.
However, the president instead insisted on Monday in a separate post that he did not need Congress to act.
“As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago!” Trump wrote in another post.
He also wrote earlier in the morning that he could charge fees for licenses instead of imposing tariffs, as he complained about the court.
“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, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling,” Trump ranted.
“For one thing, 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. “You do a license to get a fee! The opinion doesn’t explain that, but I know the answer!”
The president went on in the post to attack the six justices on the Supreme Court who ruled against him, writing, “They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Trump suggested they would also rule against him in a looming landmark decision that would address his push to end birthright citizenship.
