Donald Trump exploded into the White House briefing room with anger and a plan on Friday after the court stripped away most of his tariff program. He called the ruling a “disgrace to our nation” and accused the justices of being “swayed by foreign interests” as he met with governors and aides.
The president treated the decision as a personal betrayal. He singled out two justices, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, saying “I think it’s embarrassment to their families,” and made clear he saw the vote as an act of disloyalty rather than law.
Mr. Trump did not stop at complaint. He announced a fallback plan he called quick and decisive. He said he would sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under a different statute and pushed the idea that the White House can simply move on to other legal tools.
“We have alternatives – great alternatives,” he said, and added a sales pitch about revenue. “Could be more money, we’ll take in more money, and we’ll be a lot stronger for it.” Those lines framed the rest of the briefing as part policy speech and part campaign rally.
At times his remarks drifted into blunt bewilderment at the court’s reasoning. “I’m allowed to destroy the country, but I can’t charge them a little fee,” he complained. “I can do anything I want to do to them, but I can’t charge any money.” The phrasing underscored how raw the reaction was.
Yet the legal map he sketched for himself is narrower than his tone suggested. His team plans to rely on targeted trade laws and new investigations to try to rebuild a tariff scheme that the court found untethered from clear congressional authorization.
The White House push came after two justices appointed by the president joined the majority against him. Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett sided with the court opinion, while Brett Kavanaugh wrote the main dissent.
Markets reacted within minutes. Traders sent stocks higher on news that wide sweep tariffs would be halted, and economists warned that billions in tariff revenue could become the subject of refund fights. One estimate put potential at risk collections above $175 billion.
Mr. Trump used the moment to cast the dispute as both political and personal. He accused the high court of siding with forces hostile to his goals and promised more aggressive moves. That tone is likely to harden partisan lines rather than build the consensus he would need in Congress for lasting authority.
Behind the public fury was a practical toolbox of next steps. Officials signaled they will pursue narrower legal routes, seek fresh congressional language, and open trade probes that can lead to tariffs under established statutes. Each path is slower than the executive order he had relied on, and each carries its own risks.
The president’s message to supporters was plain. He framed the defeat as a temporary setback and cast himself as ready to fight again. If blunt rhetoric and rapid orders were ever meant to reassure, they worked as theatre. Whether they will deliver durable policy is another question.
Featured image via X screengrab
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