The US Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs that he imposed last year on several countries, rendering a major blow to the Republican leader who pegged the move as a boost for the American economy.
While there was no immediate reaction to the court ruling from Trump or the White House, TV news channel CNN gave an insider scoop of Trump’s alleged reaction to the Supreme Court ruling. Trump is at a working breakfast at the White House alongside state governors, the BBC reported.
“Apparently the breakfast had been going well. Then Trump became enraged. He started ranting about the decision, not only calling it a disgrace, but started attacking the courts at one point saying: these f’ing courts,” the CNN reported.
In a major setback to Trump, the US Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs that the Republican pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies.
This comes a year after Trump slapped sweeping taxes on goods imported into the US on grounds that it would boost American manufacturing. However, instead of seeking the approval of the US Congress, the Trump administration used the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). According to the US Congress website, IEEPA gives the the President an authority to “regulate a variety of economic transactions following a declaration of national emergency.”
The justices, in a 6-3 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, upheld a lower court’s decision that the Republican president’s use of this 1977 law exceeded his authority.
Roberts, citing a prior Supreme Court ruling, wrote that “the president must ‘point to clear congressional authorisation’ to justify his extraordinary assertion of the power to impose tariffs,” adding: “He cannot.”
The three dissenting justices were conservatives Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh. On the other hand, conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both appointed by Trump during his first term, along with the three liberal justices, joined Roberts in the majority.
