On February 20, the Supreme Court dealt a major setback to former President Donald Trump’s signature tariff strategy. In a 6–3 decision, the Court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which he had relied on to impose sweeping tariffs on U.S. imports.
Following the ruling, Vice President JD Vance voiced his frustration on X, writing, “Today, the Supreme Court decided that Congress, despite giving the president the ability to ‘regulate imports,’ didn’t actually mean it. This is lawlessness from the Court, plain and simple. Its only effect will be to make it harder for the president to protect American industries and supply chain resiliency. President Trump has a wide range of other tariff powers, and he will use them to defend American workers and advance this administration’s trade priorities.”
Vance’s comments, widely shared by Fox News across social media, drew strong reactions online. Many defended the Supreme Court’s ruling, emphasizing the importance of constitutional checks and balances. One user noted, “The Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling upholding separation of powers is correct. Presidents can’t unilaterally impose broad tariffs under emergency laws like IEEPA. Vance’s claim of ‘lawlessness’ ignores how Congress controls the purse strings.”
Others were more critical, calling Vance’s rhetoric dangerous. “Calling a carefully considered Supreme Court decision ‘lawlessness’ just because you disagree is un-American,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “‘Lawlessness from the Court’ because they limited executive power? That’s not how this works. Interpreting Congress’s authority is literally their job. Checks and balances aren’t optional they’re the point.”
Despite the backlash, Vance did have supporters who defended the tariffs, arguing they had helped preserve American jobs.
Earlier court rulings had already determined that Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs were unlawful. On the same day as the Supreme Court decision, Trump publicly criticized the justices during a White House press conference, claiming they were “swayed by foreign interests” in striking down his tariffs. He also called the judges a “disgrace” and “fools and lapdogs.”
Trump hinted that he might pursue a 10 percent tariff using a different law, which would allow him to impose tariffs for 150 days before Congress would be required to act.
0 Comments