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The core of California’s argument? That Trump’s tariffs — which included a 10% “Liberation Day” tax on imports from nations like China and even blue strongholds like California — exceeded the bounds of the IEEPA. Democrats are calling it an overreach of executive authority. But Team Trump says the tariffs are an essential counter to the massive trade imbalance bleeding American jobs and dollars.
The ruling comes hot on the heels of two recent court decisions from last week that slammed Trump’s tariffs as unlawful. A three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York and an Obama-appointed judge in Washington, D.C., each ruled the tariffs went too far. They claimed Trump’s national emergency rationale under the IEEPA didn’t justify such broad economic measures.
Despite the legal setbacks, the Trump administration is not backing down. On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a stay — temporarily reinstating Trump’s tariffs while the matter works its way through appeals.
That same morning, the administration filed a motion with the trade court in New York warning that enforcing the anti-tariff ruling would lead to a “foreign policy disaster scenario.” The Department of Justice doubled down with its own plea for a pause, saying it was essential “to avoid immediate irreparable harm to United States foreign policy and national security.”
As for President Trump, he didn’t mince words when reacting online.
“Where do these initial three Judges come from? How is it possible for them to have potentially done such damage to the United States of America? Is it purely a hatred of ‘TRUMP?’ What other reason could it be?” he wrote on Truth Social.
Newsom’s office responded with defiance: “It was dismissed on procedural grounds. We disagree — as did a federal court in D.C. — and have already appealed.”
For now, the tariffs remain in place, with Trump’s legal team and the DOJ warning that lifting them could unravel carefully balanced global negotiations.
While Bonta and Newsom cheer the ability to appeal, critics see their lawsuit as another politically charged stunt — one that ignores the real national security concerns behind Trump’s trade policies.
“We remain confident in the strength of our case and look forward to continuing to fight for California’s vibrant economy, businesses, workers, and families,” Bonta added.
That fight, however, now moves to the 9th Circuit — where left-wing legal theories often get a warm welcome. Whether they’ll succeed in dismantling Trump’s tariffs is another story entirely.
