Donald Trump Issues New Warning on Looming Supreme Court ...

By Suzanne Blake

Reporter, Consumer & Social Trends

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his stance on the impending Supreme Court tariff decision, calling it "country-threatening" for America during an Oval Office meeting on fuel economy standards.

Why It Matters

Trump has imposed—and reimposed—sweeping tariffs since taking office for his second term in January. The tariffs have increased prices on many products for the everyday consumer. The suit before the Supreme Court—filed by multiple entities—alleges that Trump violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by employing it as a means to launch the tariffs.

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What To Know

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case on November 5, and doubt has been cast on whether conservative justices will rule in favor of the tariffs, based on their questioning of Trump’s attorney.

The president on November 4 shared his beliefs on the importance of the impending Supreme Court decision. "Tomorrow’s United States Supreme Court case is, literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “With a Victory, we have tremendous, but fair, Financial and National Security. Without it, we are virtually defenseless against other Countries who have, for years, taken advantage of us. Our Stock Market is consistently hitting Record Highs, and our Country has never been more respected than it is right now. A big part of this is the Economic Security created by Tariffs, and the Deals that we have negotiated because of them. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday said he believes the Supreme Court will uphold Trump’s tariffs. "We're gonna win the case ... I listened to the whole case. I think we win 5-4 or 6-3. The president is absolutely right. He's allowed to regulate importation ... he can do it with a fee and a tariff,” Lutnick said in a CNBC interview.

"However, we have other tools as well ... if the SCOTUS does not side with us, which I think they will, we have other tools to put them right in place. ... Tariffs are here to stay. Deals are here to stay!"

What People Are Saying

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures: “We do have backup plans, but ultimately … we are hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule on the right side of the law and do what’s right for our country. The importance of this case cannot be overstated. The president must have the emergency authority to utilize tariffs.”

Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “What many are missing about the current tariff debate is the case before the Supreme Court isn’t about whether the tariffs themselves are legal, but rather was the executive branch use of emergency acts as means for the implementation of tariffs legal."

What Happens Next

It is unknown when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling on Trump’s tariffs. "Early reports from the trial indicated multiple justices were skeptical of that reasoning, and even though the Court has sided with the current administration on multiple issues this year, this decision may not support its rationale," Beene said. "The floating of other means for implementing tariffs is essentially a possible way forward for the tariffs to continue if the ruling goes against current policy.”

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