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Despite the setback, Trump immediately pivoted to his next move.
Under Section 122 of U.S. trade law, a president can impose temporary tariffs for up to 150 days to address trade imbalances, unless Congress votes to extend the action. Trump confirmed he will use that authority to roll out a 10 percent global baseline tariff.
“We’re going forward. We’ll be able to take in more money,” Trump said.
The president argued that the ruling weakens America’s hand as he attempts to rebalance global trade relationships. He warned that foreign governments are likely celebrating the court’s decision.
“They’re dancing in the streets,” he said. “But they won’t be dancing for long.”
Trump also criticized what he described as the internal logic of the decision. According to him, the ruling creates a bizarre scenario where a president could theoretically halt trade entirely under certain authorities but would be barred from imposing even minimal tariffs under IEEPA.
At the same time, Trump acknowledged he may have initially chosen a faster path that proved legally vulnerable.
“Now, I’ll go the way I could have gone originally,” Trump said. “It’s a little bit longer process. I thought I’d make things simple, but they didn’t let us do that.”
The administration has already signaled it is launching additional investigations under separate statutory authorities. Those include national security justifications and measures designed to correct long-standing trade deficits.
Last year, Trump’s tariff program ranged from 10 percent to as high as 50 percent on imports from multiple nations. Small businesses and several states challenged the policy, arguing that the White House improperly relied on emergency powers. Their case ultimately prevailed before the Supreme Court.
In a forceful dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas rejected the majority’s reasoning.
“Neither the statutory text nor the Constitution provides a basis for ruling against the President. Congress authorized the President to ‘regulate . . . importation.’ Throughout American history, the authority to ‘regulate importation’ has been understood to include the authority to impose duties on imports,” Thomas declared.
Trump went even further, suggesting the ruling may not have been purely legal in nature.
“It’s my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think,” Trump said.
When asked to clarify, he told reporters, “You’re going to find out.”
He added, “I think that foreign interests are represented by people that I believe have undue influence,” and continued, “They have a lot of influence over the Supreme Court, whether it’s through fear or respect or friendships, I don’t know.”
The president also took a swipe at what he called “the other side.”
“But I know some of the people who were involved on the other side, and I don’t like them,” he said. “I think they’re real slimeballs.”
For Trump, tariffs have long been more than an economic tool. They are central to his political identity and his promise to restore American leverage in global markets.
While the Supreme Court’s ruling marks a significant legal obstacle, the White House is signaling this fight is far from over. With Section 122 now in play and additional trade investigations underway, Trump appears determined to continue pressing his case that tough tariffs are essential to protecting American workers and industry.
The legal battle may have shifted arenas, but the trade war is entering its next phase.
