On Friday, the US Supreme Court overturned sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last year on several countries, dealing a strong blow to the Republican leader who viewed the move as a boost to the US economy.
While there was no immediate reaction to the court ruling from Trump or the White House, CNN gave an inside scoop on Trump’s alleged reaction to the Supreme Court ruling. The BBC reported that Trump was having a working breakfast at the White House alongside state governors.
CNN reported, “It seemed like the breakfast was going well. Then Trump got angry. He started talking loudly about the decision, not only calling it a disgrace, but at one point he started attacking the courts, saying: ‘These damned courts.'”
In a major setback for Trump, the US Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs imposed by the Republican under a law designated for use in national emergencies.
This comes a year after Trump imposed sweeping taxes on goods imported into the United States on the grounds that they would boost American manufacturing. However, instead of seeking approval from the US Congress, the Trump administration used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977. According to the US Congress website, IEEPA gives the president the authority to “regulate a variety of economic transactions after declaring a national emergency.”
In a 6-3 ruling by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, the justices upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Republican president’s use of the 1977 law exceeded his authority.
“The President must point to clear congressional authorization to justify his extraordinary assertion of tariff authority,” Roberts wrote, citing a previous Supreme Court ruling, adding: “He cannot.”
The three dissenting justices are 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.
